We Don't Have Accounts. We Have Relationships.

Erin, Patrick and John Fitzgerald grew up in the produce business-and it shows. In 1998 they pooled their expertise to established Midwest Foods to serve Chicago's growing fine dining market. Today the company is a leading independent wholesale produce distributor for the Greater Chicago, Southern Wisconsin and Western Indiana area. There is no detail too minute, no request too large and no "no" at Midwest.

Good Enough Doesn't Cut It at Midwest Foods

It takes a team immersed in culture of excellence to consistently deliver the goods. From our buyers to order-fillers, drivers and maintenance folks, we hire, train and retain the best in the business. Each Midwest staff member is armed with the skills, support, and tools required to be a key contributor to our organization.

We are committed to our Growers [TK]

We Live in the Back of the House

We think a lot about plating. We can envision the ethereal look and delicate flavor of newly germinated mustard sprouts next to a flawlessly spiced duck breast. We know how to source and store the perfect potato to accompany a Prime New York Strip. A few years back, [Joe Blow-what is his name?] traded his chef's jacket for a new role as Midwest's [what is his job? Buyer?]. [Joe's] talent and know-how means we walk in your clogs every day of the week. It's no wonder that so many top hotels, restaurants, country clubs and caterers depend on Midwest.

Fresh food requires proper handling to insure it is as safe as it is delicious. Sanitation, temperature control and potential biological and physical hazards are among the critical control points we monitor 24 hours a day, seven days a week to protect the quality and integrity of everything you p urchase from Midwest. In-house and third-party auditors regularly inspect, evaluate and certify all of our operations. And, because we stand by what we sell, we carry $2 million in product liability insurance for all our customers.

We are HACCP certified

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a food safety program established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1998. Originally developed for astronauts and first applied commercially to meat and poultry processing plants, HACCP has since been adopted by other areas of the food industry.

According to the Food & Drug Administration, HACCP has many advantages in protecting food safety because it:

• focuses on identifying and preventing hazards fromcontaminating food
• is based on sound science
• permits more efficient and effective government oversight, primarily because the recordkeeping allows investigators to see how well a firm is complying with food safety laws over a period rather than how will it is doing on any given day
• places responsibility for ensuring food safety appropriately on the food manufacturer or distributor

Click to learn more about HACCP.

We are AIB International certified "Excellent"

Midwest Foods has earned an "excellent" rating on its AIB International certification. AIB International supplies audits, inspections and education to the global food industry. Their auditors are involved in every step of the food supply chain and they are invaluable resource to us in insuring our continuous commitment to handling and distributing safe, high-quality foods. AIB standards have been developed against a group of federal and internationally recognized food safety, manufacturing production and warehousing standards.

Click to learn more about AIB International.

Our growers are committed to the highest food safety standards

Each and every grower on the Midwest roster also adheres to a stringent food safety program with their own scheduled and random audits performed from the field to distribution facility. In addition to their Good Agricultural Practices, our growers also carry liability insurance for all of their products.

Located on Chicago's South Side, Midwest's state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution center was designed to meet modern standards for perishable foodservice wholesaling. Recognized by the industry as a showplace, our expertly planned building enables us to operate under optimal conditions. But our requirements for the safety and freshness of your order doesn't end in our facility. Our late-model refrigerated trucks are maintained under a strict weekly sanitation schedule, assuring that they conform to the rigorous standards you expect from Midwest Foods. Our fleet is an extension of our facility-a warehouse on wheels.

Midwest Foods Distribution Center Highlights

• 65,000 square feet
• Partitioned cooler freezers and control rooms with three temperature zones and one humidity zone
• Refrigerated sealed-tight dock doors and auto load ramps
• Pallet and hand pick slotting
• Monitoring system for temperature control
• Exterior separated refuse area
• Employee safety and training program for all hires
• Bio-terrorism plan under development according to industry recommendations, FDA Guidance documents and security guidelines

Don't just take our word for it, schedule your visit today!

Whether you're a current customer or just thinking about doing business with us, we encourage you to tour Midwest Foods. Call 773-927-8870 or click to arrange your visit.