Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

All packer-processor members of the Meat Institute should submit data for reporting. The process is quick, straightforward and designed to fit companies of all types, from single-location operations to larger businesses. In fact, many single-establishment companies report that completing the process takes less than two hours when the person submitting the data is familiar with company operations.

New in 2026: We’ve cut data entry from 500+ individual metrics down to ~50.

Support is always available—and free. Whether you’re reporting for the first time or just need a quick answer, the Meat Institute team is here to help make reporting easy and efficient.

• First time reporting? We recommend scheduling a virtual session with Kristi Block where she can share screens and walk you through the process step-by-step.
• Just have a quick question? Email us. It’s the best way to get fast answers about definitions or reporting categories.

The reporting metrics were created by Meat Institute member committees and a dedicated task force in 2019-2022. After a public comment period and several rounds of revisions, the final metrics were reviewed by an oversight group of Board representatives and then unanimously approved for public release by the full Meat Institute Board of Directors.

In 2025, the Meat Institute streamlined the annual reporting process, providing focus on only the most important reporting metrics, unifying customer requests whenever possible.

The Meat Institute’s reporting metrics are driven and led by members. Each focus area (food safety, animal care, or the environment) has its own task force made up of volunteer packer/processor experts with real-world experience.

From October through February, task forces review the metrics and supporting materials. After making updates, they share the revised metrics with the related industry committee for broader feedback.

Example: Food safety experts update the food safety metrics, then share them with the Meat Institute’s Food Safety Committee for review. If needed, the task force meets again to adjust the metrics before they’re finalized for the next reporting period.

Want to help shape the process? Contact Kristi Block to get involved.

Packer-processors are encouraged to report on all the metrics. However, you don’t have to report on everything right away. Reporting is now faster and more effective, as we’ve cut data entry from 500+ individual metrics down to ~50. These metrics are intended to represent the core information meat suppliers can report and the core questions customers want in a streamlined sector approach to supply chain questions.

The Meat Institute uses anonymous, industry-wide data to create helpful tools, resources, and educational materials that support progress across the industry.

Where to Start

If you’re new to reporting, we recommend beginning with these three focus areas:

• Food Safety
• Workforce
• Animal Welfare

These areas tend to have the clearest guidelines and are familiar to most companies. They also give you a good idea of what to expect when reporting in other focus areas.

Ready to get started? Check out the metrics here in pdf version.

Remember, reporting is a tool for growth, not a test. Start where you are—and keep building from there.

If your company operates under a DBA or has a subsidiary, it’s up to you to decide whether to report everything together or separately.

If you choose to report separately, and someone will be entering data for both the parent company and the subsidiary, that person will need to use two different email addresses—one for each entity—to access the reporting system.

This helps keep the information organized and ensures access to the right reporting dashboards.

Your company’s data is private and can only be seen by:

• People at your company with reporting access (Verifiers, Reporters or those given view-only permissions)
• The Meat Institute’s secure reporting software provider(s)

After the reporting season ends (around September/October), companies receive a dashboard showing their own data alongside anonymous, industry-wide data.

In 2026, Power BI will bring a new dimension of analysis and action to the benchmark dashboard. Companies will be able to sort data by metric, plant location, and many other ways, unlocking better insights, actionable results and broader industry progress.

Only aggregated data (not individual company data) is shared with Meat Institute staff and others, as needed and managed by the Meat Institute team.

The Meat Institute uses aggregated data to showcase the sector’s progress through key platforms and legislative advocacy like the Protein PACT, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) and the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). This information helps showcase progress and earn consumer trust as the industry grows.

The online-based reporting process is quick, simple and secure – your data is protected, with cybersecurity protocols reviewed by the Meat Institute’s Cyber Security Committee. Company information stays protected and is used to help the industry move forward together.

Reporting is all about helping the industry improve together by using real, aggregated data to show progress. Its success depends on packer-processors taking part and sharing what they’re doing. By concentrating on the most meaningful metrics, the Meat Institute’s new annual reporting process reduces workload and complexity for companies and their suppliers while helping businesses meet growing customer expectations for sustainability reporting.

The metrics are based on:

• What customers are asking for
• Industry best practices
• Current regulations

This shared approach makes it easier for companies to explain their efforts to customers, investors, and consumers—and to answer important questions with confidence.

When you report, your company gets access to a custom dashboard that shows:

• How you’re doing on each metric
• How your results compare to the rest of the industry

You can sort this information by:

• Type of protein
• Company size
• Customer segment

The dashboard helps you spot trends, set priorities and plan improvements—so your company remains competitive and future-focused.

The reporting window is open each year from May 1 to July 31. During this time, companies submit data from the previous calendar year.

Example: For the 2026 reporting period, companies reported data from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

Be sure to mark your calendar—and remember, you can report any time during the three-month window.

The Meat Institute also offers resources and help from real people to get reporting done quickly and efficiently via scheduled virtual sessions.

For general reporting questions, contact Kristi Block, Meat Institute Strategy Director.

For technical support with the reporting system contact Piestar Support.

Cat2 and Piestar collect and manage reporting data. The Meat Institute has partnered with these two trusted software providers since 2022.

• Cat2 provides smart factory software designed specifically for food manufacturers. Their tools help food processors track operations and support continuous improvement.
• Piestar makes it easy to collect and report key data. Their platform helps companies see year-over-year progress and gain useful insights from their reporting.

These tools work together to support a smooth, secure and meaningful reporting experience.

The Meat Institute used a careful and thorough process to select the right software partners for reporting.

• Nearly 30 data management companies were invited to share their qualifications.
• From those, eight companies submitted full proposals.
• Proposals were reviewed by Meat Institute staff, outside experts in data and software and member representatives.
• Finalists gave multiple presentations, covering how the software works, how it would be set up and how data would be protected.

After reviewing all the details, the group unanimously chose the firms that offered the most secure, easy-to-use, and effective system for members.

Data security is a top priority.

When choosing the reporting software, the Meat Institute carefully reviewed the data security protocols with help from outside cybersecurity experts and members of the Meat Institute’s own cybersecurity committee.

The software provider, Piestar, met high standards for keeping your company’s data safe. All information is stored on a secure third-party server, and the Meat Institute only receives anonymous, industry-wide data—never individual company data.

To help keep your company’s information protected:

• Each company must appoint one Verifier to manage access and reporting.
• The Verifier can assign other employees to enter data, but controls who can see and update company information.

Your data stays secure and your company stays in control.

In 2022, before launching, the reporting system went through a pilot testing phase with participation from Meat Institute members and Meat Institute staff.

Both groups tested the system to make sure it was easy to use, reliable and ready to support successful reporting. Feedback from the pilot was used to make improvements before the full rollout.

If your company is already enrolled and reporting, go to: theproteinpact.meatinstitute.org.

Contact Kristi Block to begin the setup process.

Be ready to share the following details for the person who will serve as your company’s Verifier:

• First and last name
• Job title
• Email address

Note: The Company must be a current Meat Institute packer-processor member to participate in reporting. Member dues help support the reporting system, metrics and tools that promote continuous improvement across the industry. Unsure of membership status? Contact us.

The Verifier is your company’s main contact for reporting. This person acts as the administrator, with full access to set up company details and final responsibility for reviewing and submitting data.

There can only be one Verifier per company.

The Verifier can:

• Set up company information (like establishment numbers, species processed, employee size, and customer markets)
• Assign team members—called Reporters—to help enter data in specific focus areas
• Review and edit all submitted data
• Submit the final report
• Enter data themselves, if needed

Note: Verifier contact information must be sent to the Meat Institute before your company can access the reporting system.

A Reporter is someone assigned by the Verifier to help enter data for specific focus areas (like food safety, worker safety or animal welfare) and company locations.

Reporters only enter data—they cannot change or add company details.

There’s no limit to the number of Reporters a company can have. Multiple team members can report on the same focus area or across different areas, depending on what the Verifier assigns.

You can find helpful tools, guides, and templates on the Meat Institute website.

Visit meatinstitute.org and go to the Focus Area – Reporting section.

Get started with the metric PDFs.

You can access the reporting site and submit data using a computer, tablet, or smartphone—whatever works best for you.

The platform is designed to be flexible and easy to use on any device.

The Verifier can offer internal guidance and clarify how certain questions should be answered to ensure everyone is interpreting and reporting metrics consistently.

Here are a few tips that have worked well for other companies:

• Host a team meeting: Bring all Reporters working on the same focus area together to review the questions and discuss how they apply to your company’s processes.
• Document your approach: Encourage Reporters to write down why they answered a question a certain way. This helps with future consistency and can serve as a helpful reference.
• Create a simple internal guide: Outline how your company interprets each metric and what supporting data should be used. This also helps build a clear path for your company’s continuous improvement efforts.

Metric consistency improves your reporting and helps you track meaningful progress over time.

If you're working with a consultant who will help enter data, you can add them as a Reporter in the system.

Important:  
If the consultant is reporting for more than one company, they must use a different email address for each company account.

This is a required data security measure to keep company information protected and separate.

As the Verifier, you’re responsible for selecting the correct USDA Establishment IDs for your company.

• Only select establishment IDs that belong to your company.
• Once an establishment ID is selected by one company, it cannot be selected by another.
• Each establishment ID includes an address—use this to double-check you’ve selected the correct locations.

Missing an Establishment?

Email the Piestar Support Team with the missing Establishment ID, and they will help get it added to your company account.

You can report on establishments in Canada or Mexico if they have a USDA Establishment ID or an equivalent approved ID.

If you don’t see the establishment listed, email the Piestar Support Team with the Establishment ID, and they will help you get it properly linked to your company.

Most metrics are reported by establishment. At the end of the reporting season, data will be available by establishment or in aggregate at the company or industry level.

Here’s how it works:

• For each focus area (except Animal Welfare Policy & Sustainability), you’ll be asked how many of your establishments meet each metric.

Example:

You’re reporting on food safety for 5 locations.

• If responding yes to a metric, the establishments assigned to you to be reported on will appear.
• You would select the establishment numbers which are meeting the metric to signify yes and leave the “no” unselected.

If someone else at your company is also reporting for other establishments in the same focus area, your data entries will be consolidated at the end of the reporting cycle.

Example with Multiple Reporters:

• Your colleague reports that three out of three of their locations meet a metric.
• You report that one out of two of your locations meet the same metric.
• The system will combine the data to show four out of five locations met the metric at the company level.

Yes. There are two focus areas where you report data for the entire company, not individual establishments.

• Animal Welfare Policy
• Sustainability Metrics

In all other focus areas, data is reported by establishment and then combined to show company-wide results.

No. As a Reporter, you can only see the data that you have entered.

Only the Verifier has access to view:

• Data submitted by all Reporters (once marked complete)
• Any data the Verifier enters themselves

This setup helps keep data organized and secure.

If you don’t see any modules, focus areas or forms in the left-hand menu, it likely means you haven’t been assigned any reporting responsibilities yet.

Please contact your company’s Verifier — they can assign you to the correct establishments and focus areas. Once assigned, the forms will appear in your dashboard.

For most text boxes, there is no character limit—you can enter as much information as needed.

For single-line text boxes, the limit is 250 characters.

If you're unsure which type of box you're using, try typing—it will stop accepting text once the limit is reached.

If you’d like a hard copy or digital version of your reporting entries for review or internal records, here are two easy options:

1. Print or Save as PDF from the Reporting System

   • As a Reporter, you can right-click anywhere on the reporting page and select “Print.”
   • Then choose “Save as PDF” or send it to a printer.
   • Any metrics you’ve already entered will appear on the printout.

   Tip: This is helpful if you need to share your work with others for feedback before final submission.

2. Download Metric PDFs from the Website
   • Visit https://www.meatinstitute.org/Reporting/Metrics.

If you need to collect information from multiple team members before submitting your report, here are two easy ways to share the metrics:

1. Print or Save a PDF from the Reporting Platform
   • As a Reporter, right-click on the reporting screen and choose “Print.”
   • Then select “Save as PDF” or print a hard copy.
   • Any metrics you've started filling out will appear on the printout.
   • This is a great way to review and gather input from others before finalizing your data.
2. Download the Full Metric PDFs
   • Visit https://www.meatinstitute.org/Reporting/Metrics.

If this is your first time logging in, the password reset feature won’t work. That’s because your account must be verified first as part of the system’s data security measures.

What to do instead:

If you know who your company Verifier is, reach out to them and ask to be added as a Reporter. Once you're added, you'll receive login instructions.

If you're not sure who your Verifier is, contact Kristi Block.

When entering data, you'll see two buttons at the bottom of each form: Save and Mark as Complete.

SAVE

• Saves your work so you can come back to it later
• The sidebar icon will turn burnt orange
• Only you (the person who entered the data) can see saved information
• Helpful if you're still collecting info or not ready to submit

MARK AS COMPLETE

• Submits the data for review
• The sidebar icon will turn green
• Your progress percentage will go up
• The company Verifier can now see and review your completed entries

For Verifiers:  
When you select Mark as Complete in the Verification Form, the system will start analyzing and aggregating your company’s data.

Important Note:  
If any forms are saved but not marked as complete, you’ll keep receiving reminder emails until the reporting period ends or you’ve submitted everything.

Longitudinal data (year-over-year trends) becomes available after your company has reported for at least two years.

Once you've submitted data for two or more reporting periods, your dashboard will begin to show trend lines that highlight changes over time—both within your company and in comparison, to industry-wide progress.

Note: The first official reporting period began in 2022, so trend data may still be limited depending on when your company started reporting. With the 2026 metrics changes, trend data may reset.

We recommend assigning at least one person to review and report on any Animal Welfare metrics that are relevant to your business. Most Animal Welfare metrics in the first-year focus on slaughter operations. However, there are still some questions that apply to packer-processors as well.

Member feedback to help improve the process is welcome. If there are specific metrics you’d like to see added in the future, you can share your suggestions through the evaluation form.

The Meat Institute’s 2025 Animal Welfare Goal includes two key commitments:

1. 100% of members who handle animals must pass third-party audits for animal transport and handling.
2. All members must require their suppliers to provide mandatory employee training and follow species-specific animal care standards.

To help companies meet this goal, the Animal Welfare Committee Task Force created policy templates that members can use:

• One template is for companies that handle live animals
• One is for further processors who do not handle live animals

These templates are available to members and can help guide internal practices and supplier expectations. View this Meat Institute (Member Restricted) pdf

If your information is linked to more than one company, you may see an error message when filling out the verification form.

This is part of the system’s data security measures to ensure each company’s information stays protected.

What to do:

Contact Piestar Support. They’ll help resolve the issue and make sure your account is set up correctly.