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Pepperoni Thickness

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pizzapiratespp

New member
So, we have used a 14-16 slice pepperoni since day 1. Which is 14 to 16 slices of pepperoni per ounce. I have all the formulas and calculations built into the POS system to account for this. Starting last summer we started coming up short on pepperoni on our weekly inventory. As much as a case or 2 a week at each store, which adds up to about 30K a year in lost pepperoni.

So I started weighing out test batches every week. 100’s of samples and several different scales and low and behold we were getting any where between 12, and at best 13.5 slices per once. So in October once I’m convinced I a correct I call the supplier and notify them. The sales rep says she will take care of it right away and sends me like 10 cases of free pepperoni.

But after another 2 months ( although better ) the slice thickness still isn’t correct. Now we are getting between 13 and 14 slices per ounce with most of them at 14. I will accept 14 but nothing lower.

So I call again. This time the quality control guy calls me back. He tells me that he always cuts the pepperoni at 14 and due to moisture variances sometimes it goes down to 13. Now call me crazy but if you are selling a product that is labeled 14-16 slices per ounce shouldn’t you be aiming for 15 slices per ounce? That way if there are variances you are still withing guidelines. Mr quality control guy says “NO” 14 is what I cut.

I told him you can cut it however you want but I don’t have to buy it. The only issue is that I have used this product for 25 years and I not happy about changing brands.

Any thoughts on this?
 
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Send a letter not a email to the company’s vp of marketing. Sometimes you have to go around the lower tier guys to get a company to provide what they say.

I am having the same basic problem with Leprino right now. 6 months of calls and emails to their quality dept, and now they have moved me to a sales rep. If i could, would have dropped them already.
 
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Maybe I’m wrong, or living in bizzaro world, but wouldn’t wight loss from moisture make it more slices per ounce?
 
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GotRocks is right.

Do you weigh the cases coming in? If they’re slicing inaccurately, I wouldn’t trust their case weights, either.

Moisture variances aren’t something that would suddenly change after 25 years. They’re feeding you a line of crap.

Some bean counter decided that if the yield is 13% lower on a case of pepperoni, their customers will have to order 13% more pepperoni from them, and their sales will increase accordingly.

It’s dirty pool.
 
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We too have been coming up short i have noticed lately with pepperoni it definately hasnt been making sense I wouldnt have really thought to check the piece per ounce. So I just did a check and im getting 11-12 slices per ounce when I too should be getting 14-16 slice per ounce. Curious to know what brand of pepperoni you are using.
 
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Hmmm now I have to go count pepperoni! Thanks a lot guys! lol

We had this issue in a big way with sliced Italian sausage a few years ago. Slice thickness doubled over time. We ended up having to switch brands.
 
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That really chaps my hide! It reminded me of a time a vender I bought Hamburgers from did same thing! Suppose to be 80 1/4pd patties in box. After all these years I decided to count and sure enough most of boxes were 79. So 1/4 pd less on each box , the vender was making thousands on ripping off customers. Once confronted, he also gave my free meat for a hole month. After that he sold business!
 
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Georgiascp said:
We too have been coming up short i have noticed lately with pepperoni it definately hasnt been making sense I wouldnt have really thought to check the piece per ounce. So I just did a check and im getting 11-12 slices per ounce when I too should be getting 14-16 slice per ounce. Curious to know what brand of pepperoni you are using.
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I’m not going to give there name out on the message boards here. I’ll will tell you if you PM me. Being that we are both in So Cal it may be the same company.
 
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It is a reminder that you might want to schedule a quarterly or monthly quality control for your count per ounce/pound products. Taking control of your own quality control will end up meaning REAL money. Sliced meats, patties, cheese steaks, wings, meatballs, frozen dough balls, cheese, frozen appetizers … all sorts of things that we are vulnerable to the producers’ QA for our profitability. We like to think that the more reputable (expensive?) companies have more consistent products controls … but I guess we never know w/out the scale.

Shouldn’t take more than a 30-45 minutes each month … heck rotate and weigh/measure something every week when orders come in … looks like time it will pay for itself. I used to spot check stuff each month, makes me wish I were more consistent.
 
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