BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Mayfield Dairy in Birmingham, Ala., is the recipient of the Dean Foods CEO Quality Award for ice cream. This award is the company's top honor, and Mayfield Dairy was selected over Dean Foods' eight other ice cream plants after a rigorous, year-long judging process.

The award was presented to a group of sanitation and quality technicians with Mayfield Dairy in Birmingham on May 8 by Dean Foods CEO Gregg Tanner.

"Dean Foods holds its plants to very high standards, making for particularly stiff competition surrounding this award," said Tanner. "We are delighted with Mayfield's excellence in protecting quality from farm to table, and we're proud to hold them up as an example for the second year in a row."

The Dean Foods CEO Quality Award is the culmination of an intensive assessment process. This year, five fluid milk plants and three ice cream plants, including Mayfield Dairy, were selected as Excellence in Quality Award winners based on multiple criteria such as Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program scores, training participation and consumer complaint improvement.

Next, these eight plants were scrutinized further by Dean Foods' senior leadership who took into account quality innovations, best practices and the "quality culture" within the plant. Mayfield Dairy emerged as the cream of the crop in the ice cream category.

"I could not be more thankful for the team here in Birmingham," said Eddie Allen, Plant Manager. "The products we manufacture reach the tables of families throughout the southeast and in 43 countries around the world, and our folks do an incredible job of assuring that our ice cream is consistent day in and day out for our customers. In short, we get to make and distribute ice cream for a living, and it doesn't get much more fun than that!"

About Mayfield Dairy
Founded in 1910, Mayfield Dairy Farms offers a full line of milk, cultured and ice cream products. Based in Athens, Tenn., the dairy serves nine Southeastern states. Mayfield Dairy offers over 40 flavors of ice cream and a broad variety of novelties including the award-winning Mayfield ice cream sandwiches. Mayfield also produces ice cream for a large customer that distributes the product to 42 countries across the world. Tours of the dairy's plants in Athens, Tenn., and Braselton, Ga., offer an inside look into the history, production and great flavor of Mayfield products.

CONTACT: Dustin Cox, 214-721-7766 or media@deanfoods.com

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SOURCE Dean Foods Company

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