Find your cure...

Charcuterie

Good charcuterie is made by hand with meat from animals that were raised without hormones and provided with feed that is free of animal by-products.

About

The Good Food Awards rely on the expertise of the charcuterie community to create the tasting, determine judges and set standards for the category. Read on to learn who has been integral to building the category, as well as what the charcuterie standard are and who will be judging this year.

Committee

Co-Chairs

Allison McElwee

Marketing Manager at 4505 Meats – San Francisco, CA

Allie is the Marketing Director at 4505 Meats in San Francisco. She joined 4505 in 2014 as the Sales Coordinator, after interning with the Good Food Foundation, and has since held posts as the Employee Experience Specialist, Marketing Manager for both wholesale and restaurant, and Social Media Director before transitioning into her current role. When she’s not working she can likely be found spinning, petting other people’s dogs, baking, and any & all other food related activities.

Madeline Peters

E-Commerce Manager at 4505 Meats – San Francisco, CA

Madeline is the E-Commerce Manager at 4505 Meats, where she manages online sales from end to end.
She joined 4505 back in 2015 as the Sales coordinator turned Western Sales Manager before landing in her current role. Previous to her time at 4505, Madeline attended culinary school in Florence, Italy studying regional Italian cuisines and traditional culinary practices. Upon returning from school she worked at Manicaretti Italian Food Importers furthering her education in Italian artisanal production methods and then worked a short stint in restaurant kitchens as a prep cook.

Committee Members

James Lum, Consulttant, Easy Co.
Claire Koerschen, Wholesale Manager, Humphry Slocombe
Peter Pacelli, Co-Owner, Farmer’s Daughter

Standards

In order to be eligible for a Good Food Award, charcuterie entries must meet the following standards:

Made in the USA or US territories*
Handcrafted.
Free of artificial ingredients, including colors, flavors and preservatives.^**
Made with ingredients that are sourced with a balanced objective of local, organic and highest quality.
If made with additional animal products (dairy, eggs), they adhere to the same animal husbandry standards as meat ingredients.
If made with non-animal ingredients, they are traceable, non-GMO and grown without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.^***
Made with respect and fair compensation for everyone working at the ranch, in the slaughterhouse and in the kitchen.
Made by a crafter that is an upstanding member of the good food community, oriented toward growing their business in harmony with a better food system.

Made with meat from animals raised:

Using good animal husbandry.^****
Out of confinement that restricts natural species-specific behaviors.
With plenty of access to the outdoors, including access to pasture and natural vegetation.
Without gestation crates.
Without hormones.
Without sub-therapeutic antibiotics.
Without feed containing animal by-products.^*****
With concern and mindfulness for slaughterhouse practices.^****
Butchered in a state, county or USDA-approved facility.

_{**For producers working close to the borders of Mexico or Canada, the Good Food Foundation will evaluate based on a case by case basis.

**Nitrates and nitrites are allowed.}_{***If less than 2% of ingredients in the product do not meet this stipulation, the entry will not be disqualified.}_{****The Good Food Foundation uses GAP Level 5 guidelines to define “good animal husbandry.”}_{***** We encourage all producers to seek out GM-free feed wherever possible, and to discuss its desirability with their suppliers where it is not yet available. We realize that access to GM-free feed varies across the country and therefore do not yet require it for entry in the Awards.}