AUSTIN, Minn. – Hormel Foods Corp. released its 2011 corporate responsibility report, which details the company’s social initiatives and the completions of Hormel’s first set of five environmental goals.

Key performance and achievements include:

• Being listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second consecutive year, placing the company among the world’s top 10 percent of sustainable companies.

• Achieving outstanding results from the annual Environmental Sustainability Best of the Best competition among all Hormel Foods locations. The competition the competition resulted in the reduction of 695.2 tons of solid waste to landfill, an increase in recycling tonnage by 27 percent and more than 40.4 million gallons of water saved collectively.

• Enhancing the On Our Way to Ending Hunger program, with contributions of more than $5 million in cash and product to aid hunger-relief efforts in the US and abroad.

• Distributing its Supplier Responsibility Principles, which were designed to ensure the quality of products and services received from suppliers follows the commitment of Hormel Foods to responsible environmental and social performance.

• Expanding the number of facilities that have been certified under the Global Food Safety Initiative-recognized food safety management standards.

The company also improved performance on a number of key metrics, including:

? Reducing packaging by 4.2 million pounds, beating the company’s packaging minimization goal,;
? Reducing water consumption by 15 percent, beating the water reduction goal,;
? Continuing to outperform the industry average for safety rates; and
? Implementing several capital projects designed to reduce energy use, expecting to see results in the 2012 fiscal year, as part of Hormel’s new energy conservation goal.

"I am proud of our team for achieving outstanding results in fiscal 2011," said Jeffrey Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and CEO. "We will continue to responsibly conduct business following Our Way – the Hormel Foods values statement that defines how we operate every day in our approach to people, process, products, performance and philanthropy."