Can I eat your product even if it is past the "Sell By" date?
We cannot recommend use past the "Sell By" date. There is simply no substitute for your own good judgment in judging the edibility of perishable products. If the product has a strange color or odor, or you find it to be slimy or have a sticky texture, do not consume it, regardless of the "Sell By" date. If you have specific questions, call us at toll-free at (800) 334-9151.
Can you ship Smith’s products to me?
Yes we can! Click here to "Buy On-Line".
Is there a "safe way" to serve a hot dog to a child?
It is important to remember that any food can present a choking hazard to any individual: children and adults alike. It is extremely important, when feeding a child, to make sure that you take precautions by carefully slicing the hot dog both lengthwise and widthwise into small, chewable pieces that YOU are confident the child can easily chew. Not all young children have the chewing skills required to eat hot dogs, and a caretaker must use their own best judgement in determining what food the child is able to eat safely. Also - skinless hot dogs should present an easier "chew" than natural casing hot dogs for all individuals. For tips on serving hot dogs to young children, visit this link for a video demonstration from the American Meat Institute http://www.youtube.com/MeatNewsNetwork
What is Ox Roast?
Contrary to the name, Ox Roast is not Ox meat! Ox Roast is actually thinly sliced seasoned roast beef cooked in natural juices. Smith's Ox Roast is fully cooked - it only needs to be heated and it is ready to enjoy. Other common terms for Ox Roast are "Beef on Weck" (sliced roast beef with juices on a Kummelweck roll); "French Dip Sandwich" (sliced roast beef on sub roll with juices, and au jus on the side for dipping); "Italian Roast Beef" (sliced roast beef with juices on an Italian roll or bread, topped with melted provolone, sauteed peppers and carmelized onions); and "Classic Ox Roast" (sliced roast beef on a Kaiser or other hard roll, topped with horseradish).
Do your products contain glutens?
All Smith’s products are “Gluten Free”.
How do I know your meat plant is clean?
Our meat plant is visited by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector on a daily basis. This is in addition to our own extensive and detailed food safety plan. We are trained and certified to apply HACCP principles to our operation (considered to be the most effective and advanced food safety system), and the USDA is there to assist our own Director of Quality Assurance. In addition, we have gone beyond the standard inspection requirement, by obtaining the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level III Certification – this is the highest level of independent food safety auditing one can achieve, and we are proud to have earned it! We feed our own families the same products we are proud to make for your family.
How long can I keep your product in the refrigerator once I have opened the package?
Once the package is opened, we recommend keeping our products in the coldest area of your refrigerator for not more than 5 days. "Sell by" refers only to an unopened package.
What are Nitrates and Nitrites?
They are USDA and FDA regulated ingredients listed on the product label ingredient statement. These ingredients are very important in preventing the growth of the botulism bacteria, and also create "cured" meats. Curing is the difference between a roast beef and corned beef, between a pork roast and a ham, between salt pork and bacon. The USDA strictly controls precisely how much nitrite can be added to processed meat products.
What does "Natural Casing" mean?
Natural casings are the cleaned, sanitized, salted intestines of either sheep or pigs. Typically hog casings would be used for sausage items, while sheep or lamb casings, being of smaller diameter and inherently more tender, would be used for wieners or Cheddarbest Sausages. These casings have been used for centuries, throughout the world, are completely edible (basically protein), and provide a distinctive snap and bite that make a Smith’s Natural Casing wiener the great tasting hot dog that it is!
What is "naturally smoked"?
"Naturally Smoked" refers to the process we use to add unique color and flavor to our products during the cooking process, by heating real wood chips and creating an aromatic smoke that surrounds our products. We believe our traditional method of slow smoking our products, using sugar maple wood sourced locally, results in far superior flavor and color than our competition. We can tell the difference, and we think you can too.
What is a hot dog "really" made of?
Only fresh ingredients are used to make a Smith’s wiener: fresh pork and beef, and natural spices. The meats used are locally and regionally sourced from reliable suppliers that consistently meet our high standards. This is skeletal meat only - no "parts" used here! We use lean, fresh, boneless beef and fresh, boneless pork, and more importantly, we do not use "variety meats" (another name for tongues, snouts, navels, heart meat, cheek meat, etc.) or any poultry ingredients.
What is the difference between a "water added" ham and a Smith’s ham that is "not water added"?
At Smith’s, our hams are "Natural Juices" hams. We are determined to not water our hams down, as we are proud of the natural quality and flavor of our hams, as well as not diluting the essential nutrients of the ham.
Where do you get the meat that goes into your products?
The meat we use in our Smith's products comes from a select few suppliers. Our beef is primarily sourced from relatively small, family-owned operations in western New York. We source beef that is 92-94 percent lean, typically grass fed and from cows or bulls – not steers. The animals are primarily grown in Wisconsin and surrounding dairy states and are frequently a surplus to dairy operations. Our pork is primarily sourced from farms in Eastern Pennsylvania and Ohio. In all of the above relationships, we know the owners personally and visit their respective operations on a regular basis. We buy the meat fresh from the suppliers with whom we have long-term relationships and who will deliver the clean, fresh, safe ingredients we insist upon. All of our meat ingredients must be produced under federal (USDA) meat inspection.
You say your products are "fully cooked". Does that mean I can eat them right out of the package?
When you see "fully cooked" on the label of a smoked, cured or cooked meat, it means that the product has been heated to a minimum internal temperature of at least 148 degrees Fahrenheit and is safe to eat without additional cooking.
What is the difference between a "water added" ham and a Smith’s ham that is "not water added"?
At Smith’s, our hams are "Natural Juices" hams. We are determined to not water our hams down, as we are proud of the natural quality and flavor of our hams, as well as not diluting the essential nutrients of the ham.
Where do you get the meat that goes into your products?
The beef and pork we use in our Smith's products comes from a select few suppliers. We source beef that is 92-94 percent lean, typically grass fed and from cows or bulls – not steers. In all our relationships, we know the owners personally and visit their respective operations on a regular basis. We buy the meat fresh from the suppliers with whom we have long-term relationships and who will deliver the clean, fresh, safe ingredients we insist upon. All our meat ingredients must be produced under federal (USDA) meat inspection.
