Sargento Foods Inc. is an American food producer best known for its
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
. It was founded in 1953 in
Plymouth, Wisconsin
Plymouth is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Mullet River. The population was 8,932 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, metropolitan area. The city is located in the Town of Plymouth ...
by Leonard Gentine and Joseph Sartori. The company name is a combination of Sartori and Gentine, with an "o" added to make the name sound Italian, as the company specialized in Italian-style cheeses. Sargento is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States, and is one of the country's largest retail cheese companies. The company offers
profit sharing
Profit sharing refers to various incentive plans introduced by businesses which provide direct or indirect payments to employees, often depending on the company's profitability, employees' regular salaries, and bonuses. In publicly traded compa ...
, tuition reimbursement and
benefits
Benefit(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Benefit'' (album), by Jethro Tull, 1970
* "Benefits" (''How I Met Your Mother''), a 2009 TV episode
* "Benefits", a 2018 song by Zior Park
* '' The Benefit'', a 2012 Egyptian action film
Busi ...
for its employees. The company has been a sponsor in American motorsports for many years; for example, it is prominently displayed on
Road America
Road America is a motorsport Road racing, road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club ...
raceway.
Products
Sargento was the first company to sell pre-packaged sliced cheese (1953), to sell pre-packaged shredded cheeses (1958), and the first to develop
zippered packaging for its cheeses (2001). The company also produces and markets specialty cheeses, which it purveys on its website and in catalogs.
Additional products include sauces, snack cheeses and snack foods, and the company also manufactures custom cheese and food products for corporate clients.
[
In early 2017, Sargento recalled seven cheeses for possible '']Listeria monocytogenes
''Listeria monocytogenes'' is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis. It is a facultative anaerobic bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. It can grow and reproduce inside the ho ...
'' contamination.
Works
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See also
* List of cheesemakers
This is a list of notable cheesemakers. Cheesemakers are people or companies that make cheese, who have developed the knowledge and skills required to convert milk into cheese. Cheesemaking involves controlling precisely the types and amounts of ...
* List of dairy product companies in the United States
This is a list of dairy product companies in the United States. A dairy product is food produced from the milk of mammals. Dairy products are usually high energy-yielding food products. A production plant for the processing of milk is called a dai ...
Notes
References
* {{Cite book , last1=Hintz , first1=Martin , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waPVq7au8NsC , title=Wisconsin Cheese: A Cookbook and Guide to the Cheeses of Wisconsin , last2=Percy , first2=Pam , date=26 February 2008 , publisher=Rowman & Littlefield , isbn=9780762751969 , via=Google Books , accessdate=28 April 2018
External links
Official website
Dairy products companies of the United States
Cheesemakers
Food and drink companies based in Wisconsin
Food and drink companies established in 1953
1953 establishments in Wisconsin
American companies established in 1953
Wisconsin culture