If you’re eating, chances are Cara Gerken has played some role in ensuring it’s suitable to do so.

Gerken is part of technical services and business development at IMI Global, Inc., a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc.

She lives and farms with her family near Cashion, but has worked for the company for a quarter-century.

“I’ve worked from home for 25 years, but travel from coast to coast and north to south,” she told Kingfisher Lions Club as guest speaker last week.

“And even internationally.”

WFCF and IMI Global essentially work to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products.

According to its literature, WFCF “continues to modernize identification and traceability systems, verification and certification suites and data reporting systems.”

It has four additional verification and technology solution divisions that cover nearly every food industry.

IMI Global provides authentification of claims being made on packages at retail.

Gerken said she is currently in the process of inspecting poultry suppliers for Chick-fil-A as an independent third party.

“I’m making sure the major poultry suppliers are keeping up the standards Chick-fil-A has set,” she said.

If suppliers fall short of standards, Gerken said they have to “provide written documentation of how they’re going to fix it.” There are follow-up inspections to verify that, she said.

Gerken said she’s one of few within the company - which started out with about 10 employees but now has about 200 and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ - who is qualified to inspect multiple lines of agricultural products.

When asked more about the poultry industry and the current spike in the price of eggs, Gerken said it’s due largely to last year.

She said a major infl ux of Avian flu (bird flu) last winter depleted some major suppliers’ flocks all across the country.

That’s led to less of a supply this year, she said.

Gerken was introduced to the club by Lions Club member Chase Farrar.