New to the industry or well-seasoned, exploring supplies for meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers aids in a meat distributor's success. Obvious supplies include the meat cutting tools needed to process your meat. Knives, slicers, grinding machines and conveyor systems quickly come to mind.

With those supplies, a meat supplier can cut and process meat. But to get the meat to the retailer, the meat distributor cannot stop there. What happens with the meat after it is cut? To obtain supplies for the second half of the business, consider these questions and suggestions.

1. Who are the meat wholesaler's customers and how will their orders be tracked?

2. How will the meat from the wholesale meat distributor be contained and presented to the customer?

3. What information needs to be on the meat sent from the meat supplier?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get software specifically for wholesale meat suppliers

Having software to aid in running a meat distribution center is often overlooked but it is an important part of running your business successfully. Imagine easily tracking costs, customers, cut records and instructions and more with one simple solution.

I recommend: Meat Handler Company can set meat distributors up with a complete software system. They offer on-site setup and training of the software which can include assistance in gathering business specific information and inputting it into the program for you. For a distributor that does not need such a comprehensive software solution, Edible Software has an option specifically for inventory and accounting needs.

Find packaging supplies made for wholesale meat distributors

Smart meat suppliers know that attractive packaging is an asset when it comes to higher meat sales. Equally as important is food safety in the chosen package. Supplies can include pouches, bags, trays, liners, films or a custom solution for your product. With so many choices in packaging in both the meat and poultry markets, the meat supplier plays an active role in the success of the retailer and the happiness of the consumer.

I recommend: With a focus on safety and efficiency, Sealed Air provides custom packaging solutions for any meat supplier. Choose your specific product and you are presented with available packaging selections. For a glossary of packaging options in addition to those listed above, visit the Food Safety and Inspection Service's page on meat packaging materials.

Choose between many labeling supplies for meat distributors

Meat wholesalers and poultry wholesalers who package meat not only need to have appropriate supplies on hand for the proper labeling, but they also need to have all the components brought together to put on the label: a label of inspection, the meat distributor's name and address, item weight, any needed warning statements and an ingredient list if there are two or more ingredients. If a product is organic, you must become certified and place a seal on the packaging.

I recommend: The Agricultural Marketing Service aids in governing the labeling standards for organic meat and poultry. From them, you can find certifying agents, a list of substances prohibited in production and labeling and seal information. For innovative labeling of your meat, see Food Quality Sensor International. They offer a label that changes color to reveal the freshness of the meat by evaluating bacteria that causes food spoilage based on time and temperature. Traditional label supplies can be purchased from Color Label.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider becoming a member of the American Association of Meat Processors. They offer advice and up to date information on meat processing equipment. Another benefit for members is workshops that talk about new products and technology for beef distributors and chicken distributors.

Wholesale meat suppliers purchase meat and poultry from producers. Distributors or suppliers are the link between meat wholesalers and businesses that purchase meat and poultry for resale.

Meat and poultry sold in the United States originates from nearly every country in the world. There are nearly 3,000 meat wholesalers in the United States.

Finding the right meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers to meet your specific needs is the key to your success. When looking for beef distributors and poultry suppliers, keep these ideas in mind:

1. Whether you use meat suppliers or poultry wholesalers depends on your sales volume. Wholesalers usually require a high volume of sales. Meat distributors usually purchase their supplies from wholesale meat suppliers.
2. Once you’ve found reputable wholesale meat suppliers, ask them what their minimum order is. If that is too high for you, ask them to recommend a distributor.
3. Test products before you commit to orders. Meat suppliers and wholesale poultry distributors will provide samples for you to test their products.
4. Consider meat suppliers and poultry wholesalers who sell organic and grass-fed or range-free meat and poultry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate and choose wholesale meat suppliers and wholesale poultry distributors

Buy at the wholesale level if you can commit to large purchases.

I recommend: Prima Foods and Cargill Products and Services are meat and poultry wholesalers that offer a variety of wholesale meat and poultry products.

Check references on meat distributors

Ask customers of beef and poultry distributors the following questions: Do they consistently deliver the product you specified or do they change products frequently, and is the quality consistent? Are they reliable and easy to work with?

I recommend: Read examples of the type of questions you might want to ask a wholesale meat supplier at "Choices Magazine."

Go for natural or organic beef and chicken distributors

Consider working with smaller, independent meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers, especially if you are looking for organic or farm-raised products to showcase.

I recommend: Select a distributor who carries a range of organic meats and poultry, like Wholesome Harvest. If you are looking for grass fed beef, American Grass Fed Beef offers custom aging and packaging.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Cultivate a good business relationship with your local meat distributor and/or chicken distributor. Give them a 'heads up' if you forsee an increased demand for their product.
• •  Decide what your criteria will be for purchasing based on quality, price and delivery. Check references, test the products and select a distributor who returns phone calls and has a good reputation.

Meat wholesalers and poultry wholesalers are an important link in today's meat making process. The days of going to a butcher for all your meat needs - butchering, processing and sales - are long gone. Instead, meat leaves the farm and goes to a meat packing plant before it is sent to retailers.

As the middle man in the meat business, meat packing plants act as wholesale meat suppliers, usually selling large cuts of meat to retail butchers, wholesale companies and food manufacturers. Like the wholesale companies, the packing plants can act as meat distributors, cutting and packaging the meat for sale to supermarkets. Today's meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers consider consumer concerns when processing meat.

1. Will the meat supplier provide organic or natural meat?

2. Will the meat supplier offer local meat?

3. Is the meat from the meat supplier safe?

4. Can the meat supplier put out convenience cuts?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Provide health-friendly options through meat suppliers

People today want meat that is more than just substance. They want products that are the most healthy. Organic meats are free of additives, hormones or pesticides. Finding a local supplier not only has the appeal of supporting the local economy, but it also is a great source for organic foods. Meat processors who are state inspected can sell within the state. A federally inspected company is the only kind that can sell interstate. Finding a state inspected meat processor ensures that meat was made close to home.

I recommend: Vantage USA is a meat supplier of organic and natural meats. The Eat Well Guide is a great source for finding local suppliers.

Consider the safety of the meat from the wholesale meat suppliers

All food businesses that produce meat are subject to inspection. Animals are inspected for disease. Facilities must be clean and well maintained. Meat is then sampled and checked for correct labeling. These and other regulations help to abate any food safety concerns from meat suppliers.

I recommend: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a meat and poultry hotline that answers any question on meat safety. The USDA helps to enforce and monitor meat safety by creating laws and processes that govern the processing of meat. The Food Safety and Inspection Service provides lists of federally inspected meat packing plants.

Offer meat ready to eat from meat suppliers

In a busy society we have two income families or singles on the go, and ready-to-cook foods are very appealing. Meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers have caught onto the market demands and offer more and more convenience products. Skinless, boneless chicken, and pre-cut beef are only a few of the many choices that are packaged and retail-ready direct from the distributor.

I recommend: Hearn Kirkwood processes portioned, custom packaged meats tailored to the retailers' desires. Ordering from Hearn Kirkwood will give you prime cuts of cut-to-order meats. Fair Oaks Cattle Company provides custom cuts of grass-fed beef.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Meat must be marked to prove it has been inspected. The mark contains the facility number of the meat supplier. Look for the mark to make sure meat has been produced under the federal safety and inspection guidelines.

Consumers who are concerned about their health can use the following important terms to examine labels used by meat and poultry distributors and wholesalers. The USDA examination for wholesomeness is required, but other grading and labeling is voluntary; meat and poultry producers choose to have these labels added to their products to attract consumers. Labels may list how the animal was raised or the quality of the meat product.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Free range or free roaming

Free-range or Free-roaming animals have been allowed to spend time outdoors each day. Because of the way the law is worded, though, it does not mean the animals actually went outside. If the farmer leaves a door open for a certain amount of time every day, the poultry can be labeled 'Free Range.'

I recommend: Poultry Pages explains the size of free-range poultry flocks and offers other links to free-range poultry requirements.

Pastured or Pasture-raised

Pastured or Pasture-raised refers to animals raised outside in a pasture. Their diets included grasses and other field plants rather than feed or stored grains. Many people prefer meat raised in this manner because they consider it more humane.

I recommend: Grow Alabama discusses why pasture-raised meats are better for you.

Additives

Additives are any substances that do not appear naturally in the meat or poultry product, but are added during processing. These ingredients may be used to make the meat more attractive or flavorful. Other additives keep meats fresh longer or make them safer or easier for consumers to use.

I recommend: The USDA provides a history of additives, their uses, and the laws and labeling requirements for them.

Organic/certified organic

The certified organic label can only appear on products that meet USDA organic standards and have been approved by a food-certifying agency. To receive the label, farms must not use chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage to grow products, nor may certified organic meat and poultry be fed any products grown this way. The animals may not be given hormones or antibiotics. They must also have access to pasture, although they may not necessarily graze there.

I recommend: The Organic Trade Association explains the term "organic," cites the benefits of organic products, and defines the meaning behind the certified organic label.

Meat quality grades

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspects meat and poultry for wholesomeness, but producers can request an inspection for quality. This program is voluntary, but ensures that consumers are aware of the grade the meat received. The grades indicate tenderness, juiciness, and flavor as well as the amount of usable lean meat, percentage of fat, and the color and maturity of the meat.

I recommend: Purdue University lists and defines the grades used for meat and poultry.

Codex Alimentarius Committee

Codex Alimentarius is Latin for food law or food code. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) started the Codex Alimentarius Committee to promote and protect world health and work for fair food trade internationally. The group works with government organizations worldwide to develop food standards and codes.

I recommend: Codex Alimentarius evaluates its programs and offers goals for the future.