Omaha Steaks Breaks Ground on Product Safety Facility

Omaha Steaks broke ground this week on its new Product Safety Facility, a $20 million investment into a new facility that will use cold pasteurization technology (or irradiation, a process Omaha Steaks has used on its ground beef for years) to ensure the safety of its ground beef and other protein products, according to an announcement from the company.

The Papillion, Neb., facility is adjacent to the company’s current fulfillment center, will span 40,000 sq. ft., and is expected to be operational by June 2027. According to Nate Rempe, president and CEO at Omaha Steaks, the Product Safety Facility will be the first of its kind in America.

“This will be the first palletizing cold pasteurization facility in America,” Nate Rempe, president and CEO, told local media. “With this new facility, we’ll be able to process full pallets efficiently, reducing costs and environmental impact.”

Indeed, localizing this step in Omaha Steaks’ process will help it reduce its out-of-state shipping costs, cut emissions and improve process efficiency. Rempe told one broadcast outlet that Omaha Steaks had been using a “less advanced method of cold pasteurization,” and that the new facility “levels us up,” as it uses simple X-ray technology and only electricity to operate.

“We’re proud to bring cutting-edge food safety capabilities to our hometown, creating jobs and building infrastructure that will serve our business and the broader community for decades to come,” Rempe said in the release. Omaha Steaks said its ground-beef business has grown 74% over the past four years, and the new facility supports continued growth and demand for these products.