Insights into Judy’s sustainable practices at Maple Leaf Foods and her charitable efforts at home!
Judy Jacobs is a Manager, Quality & Safety on the Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) team based out of our corporate Central Laboratory in Puslinch, Ontario. Originally joining our team at the now closed Cortland Ave. facility in Kitchener, Ontario, Judy has been with Maple Leaf Foods for the past 12 years, playing a key role in laboratory food safety.
Having spent most of her career working in laboratory or quality assurance settings, Judy has a keen interest in helping to produce nutritious and delicious food in a safe environment. Her enthusiasm for our organization even spread throughout her family — one of Judy’s three daughters is also a Team Member and her husband is a former employee of Maple Leaf!
Outside of the lab, Judy can be found going to her cottage, getting out and about in nature, and is quite fond of bird watching.
Interested in learning more? Read on to meet Sustainability Hero, Judy!
What brought you to Maple Leaf Foods and what has made you stay?
I joined Maple Leaf Foods in 2012 for an opportunity that was in a similar role to what I was already working in, but the reputation and the values at Maple Leaf Foods were a driving factor in me applying for the position. What really interested me was the culture and the Leadership Values. During the interview process, it was clear that these values were incredibly important to the team.
I have stayed here for the same reasons — I believe the benefits and pension from Maple Leaf are better than most companies out there, and the pension plan sets me up wonderfully for retirement. I like that as a team we will discuss decisions and ask ourselves if they align with our values before we finalize any choices we make.
What role does sustainability play in your job at the Central Lab?
Sustainability has become a significant part of my job at the lab. One of our initiatives over the last two years has been to become “greener”, and I have been one of the leads in that initiative. We started working with an organization called My Green Lab (MGL), a company that offers a certification program for laboratories around the world. We became the first laboratory in Canada to receive “Green” Status in the MGL Certification Program in October 2022! Our initial certification level had us at a baseline level of 53% which is silver status, and quite impressive for our lab. Then, after six months of engagement and training for our Team Members, along with some changes to our own processes, we increased to 82% and got recognized as a “Green” laboratory. This is an incredible accomplishment for our laboratory team!
What does sustainability at Maple Leaf Foods mean to you?
I’m proud to be part of a company that wants to make the world a better place. I like the fact that Maple Leaf Foods has embraced the true meaning of sustainability — and that it’s not just about the environment as we are also working on other problems like food insecurity in Canada.
How do you practice sustainability in your everyday life – inside and outside of work?
I try to make a difference by giving to causes that are sometimes undersupported. My daughter and I save our loyalty points from various retailers throughout the year and at Christmas we adopt a few families through an organization in our city. We usually end up adding a little cash to top it all up, but overall, I enjoy how we can change Christmas for a few families in the community with very little impact on our own budgets, and it’s fun to shop for the kids.
We also try to find good homes for unwanted items such as sending used furniture to Habitat for Humanity and donating used clothing to a shelter or The Salvation Army.
Are there any sustainability projects you’re currently working on that you can share details about?
We always have some projects on the go at the lab, and we have a committee of eight people that support changes we are making, including:
- Improving our recycling programs for plastic and glass
- Determining if we can put some equipment on timers so that it can be turned off overnight and still be warmed up and ready for use when needed in the morning
- Evaluating the chemicals used in some of our testing methods to replace them with less hazardous options
- Ensuring we have best practices for the maintenance of our equipment including fridges and freezers so that they run more efficiently.
What do you hope for the future of sustainability at Maple Leaf Foods?
I hope that the company continues to drive for change and that sustainability becomes the way to do things at all our sites. I look forward to a future where we can all embrace the true meaning of sustainability which meets the needs of the present generation, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
