Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 8 - Documentation & Allergens

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 8, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about how Excalibur Seasoning handles allergens, plus information on labeling and documentation. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about how they handle allergens, labeling, and documentation.

How does Excalibur Seasoning handle documentation?

A lot of their documentation is handled in their SQF Level 3 certification and compliance. SQF is all about documentation. Every input and output for a seasoning it logged, assigned a lot number, and is tracked. For more information on Excalibur Seasonings SQF Level 3 certification, visit https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/196/excalibur-seasoning-part-3-sqf-level-3-food-safety-certification and watch Part 3 of our Excalibur Seasoning mini-series with John Brewer for more info.

What is the blue label that is on some of the Excalibur Seasoning packages?

It simply identifies that there is an allergen in that product. The blue labels are Excalibur’s way of specifically being proactive towards the possibility of a recall. Most recalls by a meat or food processor occur due to the failure to list an allergen on the label, or an allergen gets introduced where it shouldn’t. USDA inspectors love the blue label because allergens are required to be separated in a meat processing facility from the rest of the raw materials and inputs. The blue label allows the customer to identify allergens quickly and USDA inspectors to quickly visualize if a processor is adhering to proper storage of seasonings and allergens. It is a food safety initiative, that helps make things easier for a processor to separate allergens from the rest of their raw materials.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 7 - R&D, Custom Blends, New Flavors

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 7, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about Excalibur Seasoning's "Excalibur Innovation Center", plus FAQ about Custom Blended Seasonings and New Flavor Profiles. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about Excalibur Seasoning, their R&D lab, and how custom blends and new flavor profiles are created.

Does Excalibur Seasoning have an R&D department?

They do have an R&D department, which is one thing very unique about them in the industry and what they offer with their R&D lab, plus the people and staff that they’ve assembled to run their “Excalibur Innovation Center”. According to John Brewer, Excalibur Seasoning has one of the best research chefs in the industry, Marlo Mastalerz, and what she is able to develop, the timeline, and turn around for products is incredible in both duplication and new product development.

Can Excalibur duplicate a seasoning blend from another seasoning company, and how does that work?

If a customer is currently buying from another seasoning company, Excalibur Seasoning can match and duplicate that product in the Excalibur Innovation Center. In many circumstances, they can also clean the label up, extend the shelf life and enhance the product’s appearance on the shelf.

How are new flavor profiles created?

New flavor profiles can be created solely by the Excalibur Innovation Center, or it could come from a saleman from Excalibur or Walton’s, or it may come from a customer as a new request for something new, different, or a similar rendition of something existing.

How much do you have to buy to be able to order custom blended seasoning?

For dry seasonings, Excalibur Seasoning has what might be some of the lowest minimums in the industry. Only 100 pounds are required for a custom blend. Many competitors have raised their minimums to 1,000 pounds or more, but Excalibur remains unique by offering a very small minimum of only 100 pounds. Those low minimums allow small and independent processors and others to be unique themselves in their own market place without having to adhere to minimums that are simply unattainable at the 1,000 pound level.

What about minimums for liquid sauce or marinade?

Excalibur also has extremely low minimums for liquids. At only 150 gallons, their minimum is pretty much unheard of in the industry. One of Excalibur Seasoning’s strong points is their ability to produce smaller volumes of seasonings and sauces that others in the industry simply cannot or do not offer.

What is needed to duplicate a seasoning blend and make a new custom blend?

It is extensive, but we make it as easy and painless for a customer as possible. Some of the steps and things needed are:

Product development form questionaire and ingredient statement Formulation of seasoning, if possible Physical sample to to review aesthetics What is the application, what is it going on, and how much is typically used per batch? Does the customer want to exact and identical ingredient statement, or can Excalibur help clean up the label, and make sure the label is following marketplace guidelines. Excalibur will begin formulation, and prepare the product as the customer would to compare real-world performance of that seasoning Excalibur sends the new seasoning formulation back to the customer for approval, or for necessary tweaking, editing, and a second re-formulation. Is there a cost for duplicating or matching a seasoning and making a custom blend?

For dry seasoning blends, there is no cost and it is done free of charge.
For liquids and sauces, it is a lot more complicated, so a $500 deposit is required before development. Then, that is refunded back to the customer after the product is approved and the customer has bought a specified amount once they are a customer. This helps cover some basic costs, but is not meant to be a profit center for Excalibur.

Why would a home processor, independent meat processor, large food processor, grocery store, restaurant, etc. trust Excalibur to blend their seasonings?

Consistency. Simply put, Excalibur is going to produce a high quality, safe product, with a high level of integrity and consistency that is hard to beat in any other method. Some customers are afraid of letting go of their proprietary blend that has been in their company or family for generations, but Excalibur has a high level of integrity and guarantees that the customer’s formula is not going to go anywhere or be shared with anyone else. Only that customer has access to their custom blend.

Why are Excalibur’s products so consistent?

Going back to Excalibur’s SQF Level 3 certification, they are going to produce a high quality and safe product, that is consistent and always documented. Batches and lots are always compared visually and by taste to the previous batch and lot. Every ingredient is tracked on the input and output, and they guarantee consistency, repeat-ability, and trace-ability.

Do minimums for custom blends also apply to private label seasonings?

Many private label seasoning are simply an existing Excalibur Seasoning blend. When that is the case, there is no minimum. If a private label seasoning is also a custom blend, then there still is the 100 pound minimum for dry blends or 150 gallon minimum for liquids and sauces.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 6 - Why Use Excalibur Seasoning?

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 6, you'll get answers as to why Excalibur Seasoning is better than other competing companies and what makes them special. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about Excalibur Seasoning and what makes them better than the competition and why someone should buy from Excalibur Seasoning and Walton’s.

What make Excalibur Seasoning better than the competition?

One of the main things is Excalibur Seasoning’s SQF Level 3 certification. That certification ensures that their seasoning is the safest and highest quality product available. Another thing is their superb level of customer service. When you call Excalibur, or Walton’s, you get an actual person on the phone, either a customer service representative or a salesman and not a machine or recording. They are also knowledgeable in the entire product catalog across the entire gamut of products. Excalibur and Walton’s both deal with customers ranging from the small home processor up to some of the largest meat processors and grocery stores in the industry. We provide sales and service for our customers, provide programs and training and not just a single product or sale. When a customer needs us, we are there to provide help and support, and not simply a one-time sale. The level of customer service is second to none.

What sets Excalibur Seasoning apart from various competitors?

Development capabilities and R&D are huge identifiers that separate Excalibur from other companies. They are very on trend as to what’s in the market place, what is selling in the regional and global aspects of the market. Relating to everything from sauces to seasoning blends to marinades, there are so many different categories that Excalibur carries a high level of expertise in.

How does Excalibur come up with so many unique flavor profiles?

They have a separate R&D lab, or as they call it, the Excalibur Innovation Center, that is constantly reviewing what’s popular regionally and globally. They don’t rule anything out on the development side, as either too wild, or too hard to develop. Even things like Chocolate Chili Flavored Bratwursts and Gummy Bear Bratwursts are two recent additions to the Excalibur product catalog that were created by the Excalibur Innovation Center.

Why do customers continually come back and buy from Excalibur Seasoning?

New flavor profiles is one of the top reasons. R&D plays an important role and every year at the trade shows, Excalibur always has something new and exciting to showcase. Customers can always find new, interesting, and trending flavor profiles from Excalibur Seasoning.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 5 - Excalibur Manufacturing Process & Facility

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 5, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about Excalibur Seasoning's actual manufacturing facility and processes. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about where Excalibur Seasoning is located, what makes their manufacturing process unique, and what is new at their facility.

Where is Excalibur Seasoning located?

Pekin, Illinois
https://goo.gl/maps/tJAVEeG9dtp
http://www.excaliburseasoning.com/

What is unique to Excalibur Seasonings manufacturing process?

Their SQF Level 3 certification and the level of consistency, quality, and care that gets put into producing each and every product.

What is the Excalibur Seasoning manufacturing process like?

Everything that Excalibur Seasoning produces is subject to their SQF Level 3 certification. All inputs and outputs are lot coded, AND each batch and lot is compared to the previous batch and lot to check for consistency, taste, and visual accuracy so that is always exactly the same. Consistency, taste, and quality is of the utmost importance in their manufacturing.

What is happening with Excalibur Seasoning’s latest expansion?

One of the biggest reasons that Excalibur Seasoning decided to expand was to expand their storage capabilities.

What is Excalibur Seasoning’s lead time on orders?

7 days. Each order is produced and manufactured as they are placed. Seasonings don’t simply get pulled off of a shelf, but they are all made-to-order. This is changing slightly on some of their fastest selling items because of their latest expansion, and certain SKUs will have some pre-made seasonings held in stock so that some orders and seasonings can receive next day shipment.

How many items will be added to Excalibur’s “Quick Ship” items?

100+ SKUs will be available for next day shipment instead of the typical 7 business day lead time.

When will the new facility be ready?

By the end of October 2016, the new facility should be done, and the beginning of 2017 inventory should be built up and everything fully operational.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 4 - Private Label Seasonings

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 4, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about private labeled seasonings. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about their Private Label Seasoning Program and what the details are involved with private labeled seasonings.

Does Excalibur Seasoning offer a Private Label Seasoning Program?

Yes. It’s a great option for independent butcher shops, but also available and cost efficient for anyone out there with a seasoning product that they want to sell or distribute as their own private seasoning line.

What is the minimum for private label seasoning shakers or sauces?

No minimums if it is a stock Excalibur blend. If it is a custom blend, then it is 100lb for dry seasoning, or 150 gallons for sauces.

Do I need to provide my own label design or can Excalibur help with the label design?

Either is possible. If you have an existing design, Excalibur work with you to make it appropriate to fit on their product sizes, or Excalibur can help design the graphics on the whole label.

What kind of seasoning can be private labeled?

Any seasoning. Either an existing Excalibur blend can have the name changed and private labeled, or if you have a custom blend Excalibur can match it and re-produce it for you as a private label.

If I do a custom blend, will Excalibur Seasoning or Walton’s share my recipe with anyone?

Absolutely not. If you use a custom blend and give Excalibur/Walton’s the formulation, we will not share, distribute, or sell it to anyone else.

Why would I want to use a private labeled seasoning?

The local movement right now is very strong and not going away, and if you are a small business and you can put your name on a seasoning instead of selling or offering larger brand name seasonings, you are more likely to have customers come back and keep ordering more from you since it is a local brand they can identify with.

What size of containers do private label seasoning come in?

There are 7 options for sizes of containers. An 8oz shaker bottle, Small Institutional, or Large Institutional for dry seasonings, and then 12oz bottle, 2 liter “tip & pour”, 1/2 gallon round, or 1 gallon round for sauces and liquids.

Where do I start if I want to get my own seasoning private labeled?

Email Walton’s at cs@waltonsinc.com or call us at 800-835-2832. We will assign a customer service representative or salesmen to your account and help walk you through the process.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 3 - SQF Level 3 Food Safety Certification

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 3, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about Excalibur Seasoning's SQF Level 3 Food Safety Certifications. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about Excalibur Seasoning’s SQF Level 3 certification, organic, and food safety certifications

What does SQF stand for?

Safe Quality Food

What is SQF certification all about?

An insurance policy for the customer, that the product that comes out of the Excalibur Seasoning facility is a safe food product of the utmost quality and is safe for food consumption. It falls under a GFSI umbrella (Global Food Safety Initiative) which ensure that with their SQF Excalibur products can be sold anywhere in the world and the SQF certification is recognized as a global standard.

What else does it mean to be SQF Level 3 certified?

Documentation! Everything is documented, as far as what goes into a seasoning blend, all inputs are lot coded and documented. From a traceability standpoint, if a customer has a recall, Excalibur can isolate that recall versus having a customer have to recall thousands of pounds of product, or minimize the recall as much as possible, based upon what input went into the product.

What other certifications does Excalibur Seasoning have?

They are Organic certified and Kosher certified. On the organic side, they continue to get more and more requests and they can develop new organic blends, but they also already have an established catalog of organic blends available.

Is there an auditing process to be SQF Level 3 certified?

Yes, and it must be completed by a 3rd party auditor. That auditor comes into the Excalibur Seasoning facility and grades their facility and manufacturing process.

What grade has Excalibur received during their SQF Level 3 certification?

Excalibur has never received below an “A” grade (90% or above) on their certification. And, historically, they’ve been in the high 90’s. So they are a top of the line, grade A, SQF Level 3 facility.

What if you fail an SQF audit?

If you fail an audit, you are no longer certified, and don’t simply step down to the next available grade or level. So for Excalibur to receive a continual A grade at the SQF Level 3 certification means that they are maintaining that high level of documentation and food safety protocols on an on-going basis. Excalibur has never even came close to not meeting their grade and maintaining their SQF Level 3 certification.

Is Excalibur Seasoning focused on quality and safety, or just quickly putting out a low-cost option?

Excalibur Seasoning is highly focused on producing a safe and high quality product. As exemplified by their commitment to maintain an SQF Level 3 certification, they will never be a low-cost provider. Based upon their specifications and SQF certification, and regulatory requirements, they have added a ton of staff and man power to maintain their certification and produce high quality products.

Why would you not want a low-cost provider?

Low-cost providers are typically using the cheapest materials available for inputs into their products, and the cheapest is not always the best. You do get what you pay for, and if you are buying the cheapest thing available, there is probably a reason for it. The cheapest is not always the best.

What kind of value is there in Excalibur Seasoning products?

For what Excalibur Seasoning offers, their certifications, their customer service, and the specifications required in their raw materials, they are a bargain in the industry when comparing their total package and price for what you get when you are buying an Excalibur Seasoning product.

Where can more information about SQF certification be found?

You can visit the SQF website at www.sqfi.com, or contact us here on the Meatgistics site or at waltonsinc.com if you have any further questions about the Excalibur Seasoning products and their food safety certifications.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 2 - Seasoning Storage & Quality Control

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 2, you'll get answers to frequently asked questions about storage of seasonings, shelf-life, and quality control. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

In this episode we talked with John Brewer, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning, about the storage of seasonings and we also asked some quality control questions.

What is the best way to store your seasonings?

In a cool dry place, with low humidity. Humidity is one of the biggest enemies of seasoning blends because it causes seasonings to harden like a brick and become very difficult to use. This increases more and more as you have seasoning blends with more sugar in them.

Does storing in the freezer or cooler help with shelf life?

Not really. Most of the advantage by storing in the cooler is the lower humidity and eliminating clumping and caking in seasoning blends.

What is the expected shelf life for seasonings and does that vary between spices, blends, and cures?

2 years is the most that you should store seasonings. Anything past that, and the seasoning is not longer of the same quality. If you have held onto a seasoning for 2 years, you may not be using enough of it to justify keeping around anyways.

What happens when a seasoning is held past it’s shelf life?

The seasoning loses its flavor profile or “pop” because the volatile oils that give you the taste tend to dissipate, and you lose having the same touch in the seasoning.

Is it still safe to consume past the expiration date or shelf life?

Absolutely! It just will not have quite the same taste or potency. You will not get sick from eating/using seasoning that is old.

What kinds of quality control does Excalibur Seasoning use in their process?

From Excalibur’s SQF Level 3 certification (detailed further in another video), every input is logged and lot coded, and all of those lots that are input into a seasoning blend are tracked and the resulting seasoning blend is lot coded as well. Everything is tracked, documented and logged. Excalibur has an extremely high level of detail that they put into tracking all of their products and maintaining the highest level of quality and traceability.

Does this apply to all types of seasonings, blends, spices, and cures?

Yes, the 2 year limit and same principles applies to all varieties.

How does a customer know if there is a recall on a seasoning?

In most cases, the product would never have even reached the end-user. Recalls are typically found and dealt with before the spice ever is inserted into a blend or sold to an end-user. If a recall was to happen, Excalibur would contact Walton’s, or other customers who purchased from them with details on exactly which spices or blends and exactly which Lot codes were affected.

Has Excalibur Seasoning ever had a problem with a recall?

No! To this date, Excalibur Seasoning has not had a recall due to any problem on their end. This is highly attributable to the high level of care that Excalibur takes during their manufacturing process and their SQF Level 3 certification. Quality is of the utmost importance, and Excalibur logs every input into a seasoning and tracks its usage and the controls are so tight that they simply have not had an issue. That is not to say that they never would have an issue, BUT, given the requirements that they follow and their proven track records of excellence in producing safe products, they have not had any problems to this point.

Does Excalibur irradiate their seasoning, or use irradiated ingredients?

Excalibur does not irradiate their seasonings, but the ingredients they use are already irradiated.

Does Excalibur grind their own seasonings?

No. They buy spices that are already pre-ground according to the specifications they need.

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Excalibur Seasoning & John Brewer Excalibur Seasoning: Part 1 - John Brewer VP of Sales/Marketing Introduction

Learn about Excalibur Seasoning and why you should trust them to blend your seasonings. In part 1, you'll get to meet John Brewer the VP of Sales & Marketing. Watch the video, read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Summary

John Brewer is the VP of Sales & Marketing at Excalibur Seasoning. He has been with the company for 17+ years and has a ton of great knowledge about Excalibur Seasoning and the food industry in general. Excalibur Seasoning was started in 1986 by Jerry Hall and his son Jay Hall. Over the years, they’ve grown to become who they are today, selling to meat processors of all sizes, retail grocery stores from big chains down to small individual stores, plus many others in the food and meat industry. Walton’s is a distributor for Excalibur Seasoning and have had a great relationship with Excalibur and the guys there like John Brewer for many years. Make sure you check out the next parts in the Excalibur Seasoning/WaltonsTV mini-series to find out more information about Excalibur Seasoning, what makes their company and products the best to buy from in the industry, and learn some great tips, tricks, and how-to information, particularly relating to seasoning.

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