Space savers
Quality is in
the size
All Kirkland Signature
cashews meet strict quality
standards, and they are
among the largest cashews
in the industry. “When
cashews are processed, we
get over 25 di;erent grades
of cashew kernels,” says Dan
Phipps, president and CEO,
Red River Foods, one of the
suppliers of Kirkland
Signature cashews.
“Costco’s expectations for
the highest-quality, premium
cashews are well known
throughout the global supply
chain,” Phipps says. “For
decades, Kirkland Signature
cashews have been
recognized as the premier
cashews available in the
consumer market.”—LB
graded and sorted for size and color. The
nuts are then pasteurized and packed in
;;-pound bags, loaded in a sea container
and shipped to the roasting facility in the
United States.
Upon arrival, the cashews go through
extensive quality control testing. If they
meet the strict quality control standards
of Kirkland Signature, they will then be
roasted, packaged and shipped to a
Costco depot before arriving at one of the
;;; warehouses around the globe.
This process, from start to finish, can
take nearly a year, and the miles traveled
are equivalent to circling Earth.
Quality control in all aspects
The focus isn’t just on the quality of
the cashews. Costco buyers are also
focused on the quality of life of those they
work with, and they continually strive to
ensure working conditions are good for
each and every individual within the
supply chain. Everybody must be treated
well while earning a comfortable wage.
“We want to ensure farmers and plant
employees’ livelihoods are positively
affected, and it’s crucial that we fully
understand the impact we are having in
the countries we do business in,” Knapp
says. “We travel to these locations to review
farmer and community enhancements,
and to support local communities with
things like schools and maternity and
medical centers. We also promote farmer
training to help educate the local farmers
about new, more efficient ways to farm.
“Our goal is to help these in-country
farming communities thrive, which in
turn helps us to provide a high-quality
cashew for Costco members.”
As an example, he explains that until
recently cashew apples didn’t have a use
and were just left on the ground.
Today, with support from Costco and
TechnoServe, an international nonprofit
that promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world, local growers
are finding value in the discarded cashew
apples. “The farming communities are
now making nutritious cashew apple juice
for sale locally while providing
additional income for their families,”
Knapp says.
A versatile and flavorful nut
Costco has been selling roasted
Kirkland Signature Whole Fancy
Cashews, its top-selling nut, since ;;;;.
Today unsalted and organic raw cashews
are also offered.
Cashews can be turned into a non-dairy beverage, butter and even cheese,
and can be eaten in every meal from
breakfast to dessert.
Packed with protein, as well as
phosphorus, magnesium, copper and
manganese, cashews add delicious flavor
to a variety of foods.
“Cashews can be used as a base for
sauces, used as thickeners in gravy, and
they can be chopped fine for use in pesto
sauce to give a great flavor and crunch,”
says Ganesh Rajaraman, senior vice president of marketing, Olam International,
one of the world’s top producers of edible
nuts and a supplier to Costco for more
than a decade.
The next time you indulge in Kirkland
Signature cashews, know that you are not
only enjoying a delicious and nutritious
snack, you are the final step in an
arduous process to provide quality
cashews and support cashew farmers
all over the world.
