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Where Food Comes From: CARE Certified


Did you know that Heinen’s beef, pork and chicken are CARE Certified through Where Food Comes From?

Since the doors to our first butcher shop opened in 1929, we’ve been committed to sourcing the best products from the best partners.

Our relationship with third party verification organization, Where Food Comes From, guarantees that our farmers and ranchers are raising our proteins to the highest quality standards with respect for the animals and the environment.

A Cut Above: Heinen’s Meat is Third Party CARE Certified

Premium meat involves more than delicious taste and texture. We believe it also requires knowing our sources and verifying that the animals were handled with care. Discover how third party verification allows our Meat Department to source proteins that uphold values of trust, transparency and integrity.

What is Where Food Comes From?

Where Food Comes From Inc., is the number one provider of certification and verification services to the food industry. Their independent auditors have visited Heinen’s partnered beef, pork and poultry farms and ranches to observe the animals, review records and compare the information collected to specific standards or claims made about how Heinen’s meat is produced.

What Does CARE Certified Mean?

CARE Certified, created by Where Food Comes From, is a sustainability standard that certifies participating farmers and ranchers are implementing exceptional practices in animal care, environmental stewardship and that they engage productively with their neighbors to help build a stronger community.

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Meet Our CARE Certified Partners

The CARE suite of standards certifies farmers and ranchers are implementing exceptional practices in transparency, animal husbandry, environmental stewardship and engage productively with their neighbors to help build strong communities. Our partners, Brandt Beef, Gerber’s Chicken and Leidy’s Pork go above and beyond to implement these values in their daily practices.

Where Food Comes From FAQ

Who is Where Food Comes From?

Where Food Comes From, Inc. is an independent, third party food verification company that cares about how food is grown and raised, the quality of what we eat, what farmers and ranchers do and authentically telling that story to consumers. They visit farms and ranches to audit their plants, animals and records, and compare all of the information collected to specific standards or claims they want to make about how food is produced.

What is CARE Certified?

CARE Certified is a suite of sustainability standards that certifies entire supply chains to its three pillars- Animal Care, Environmental Stewardship and People and Community. The CARE program is designed to support farmers, ranchers and processors in creating and continuously improving sustainable practices based on their particular circumstances as they relate to region, climate, natural resources, production style, workforce and community interaction. Heinen’s is the first retailer in the country to implement CARE into the meat case.

What products are CARE Certified?

Heinen’s beef, Heinen’s Heritage Breed Duroc pork and Gerber’s chicken are CARE Certified through Where Food Comes From.

Recipes & Inspiration

Garlic and Rosemary Whole Roasted Chicken

Garlic and Rosemary Whole Roasted Chicken

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Blackened Pork Steaks

Blackened Pork Steaks