HOUSTON – Sysco Corp. recently announced the recipients of the company’s 2012 Sysco Supplier Excellence Awards.

The winners were selected from among 2,000 eligible suppliers worldwide. Selection criteria included key business performance measurements as determined by Sysco’s US-based distribution companies and Sysco’s corporate merchandising, sourcing, quality assurance and supply chain departments.

Meat and poultry companies honored by category are:

• Gold Suppliers – National Beef, Beef category; and Sara Lee, Pork category.

• Silver Suppliers – OSI Group LLC, Beef category; JBS, Pork category; and Pilgrim’s Company, Poultry category.

• Bronze Suppliers – Advance Pierre Foods, Beef category; American Food Group, Beef category; Cargill, Beef category; Holten Meat Inc., Beef category; Tysno Foods Inc., Beef category; Clemens Food Group, Pork category; Sugerdale Foods, Pork category; Tyson Foods Inc., Pork category; Smithfield Foodservice, Pork category; Cargill Inc., Pork category; Butterball LLC. Poultry category; Perdue Farms Inc., Poultry category; Koch Foods, Poultry category; Renaissance Man Food Services, Poultry category; and Tyson Foods Inc., Poultry category.

• Innovation Award – Kraft Food Ingredients-Pilgrims/SMS Poultry – Sysco Classic Backyard Grill Chicken.

• Best of Sysco Brand Awards – 1st Place: OSI Industries/SMS Beef – Fire River Farms Beef/Pork Blend; and 3rd Place: Clements-Hatfield/SMS Pork – Butcher's Block Prime Pork.