Ecolab Acquires Food Safety Auditor

Ecolab has purchased Audits International, a Chicago, IL-based provider of food safety audits and food retail quality evaluations. Audits International is a leading provider of national food safety services with annual sales of approximately $3 million. Terms of the transaction were not announced.

Audits International has been providing food safety services to the foodservice industry since 1982. Utilizing audit procedures designed to identify food safety procedures that comply with local, state and federal food safety codes, Audits International provides quality assurance to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, hospitality and other foodservice establishments through more than 150 company-trained field auditors located throughout the country. Audits International’s food safety evaluations are custom designed to evaluate and improve performance at the individual property. It will form a new Ecolab service business and operate within the Industrial and Services Sector as a separate business. This business is designed to provide our customers with food safety services including program design, on-site training and certification, audits and reporting.

“As part of the continued pursuit of our Circle the Customer, Circle the Globe strategy, food safety services is a natural extension of our service offering,” said Allan L. Schuman, Ecolab’s chairman and CEO. “Food safety is one of the top issues facing our customers today, and Audits International is designed to provide scientific food safety services with our technology-based and certified service team. We are now in an even better position to partner with our food service customers on the behavioral and training aspects of food safety.”