What IMI Global Inc does

IMI Global Inc is a U.S. beef-industry third-party verification and certification provider, operating as a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc. since 2006. Founded in 1995 by John and Leann Saunders and headquartered in Castle Rock, Colorado, the company delivers USDA Process Verified Program-backed services that substantiate claims related to cattle origin, age, breed, diet, antibiotic/hormone use, and production practices. Its portfolio spans core Source & Age Verification, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC), Verified Natural Beef, WFCF Grassfed, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, RaiseWell Certified, the CARE Certified sustainability program, and Beef-on-Dairy verification.

The company's core technology is the Beef Passport platform, a proprietary confidential database that links Electronic Identification (EID/RFID) tags to individual animal records, enabling real-time traceability and compliance monitoring from ranch through feedyard to packer. Program-Compliant Tags (PCTs), an Approved Salebarns network, the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator, and U.S. CattleTrace support extend the technology stack. IMI Global also sells EID tags directly and provides licensing and labeling oversight aligned with USDA FSIS requirements, supporting eight major breed-association verification programs.

IMI Global generates revenue through subscription-style enrollment and recurring verification service fees, hardware sales of EID tags, and professional-service fees for licensing and labeling support. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with assigned Account Managers and on-site regional verifiers; there is no self-serve channel and pricing is quote-based. The customer base spans cow-calf producers, stocker operators, feedyards, dairy operations (including beef-on-dairy), processors, feed manufacturers, and breed associations, with named partners including Walmart, Wegmans, Heinen's, 44 Farms, Brandt Beef, and Leidy's Premium Meats. By end of 2024, CARE Certified had reached 1,292 participating locations covering 1.2 million head of cattle across 35 states.

Name

IMI Global Inc

Legal name

Where Food Comes From, Inc.

Website

https://imiglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMI Global Inc is a U.S. beef industry third-party verification provider offering USDA Process Verified Programs, the Beef Passport traceability platform, EID tags, and the CARE Certified sustainability program to producers, feedyards, dairies, breed associations, and retailers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Livestock Verification Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates) (AFALADAE), Label Artwork/Regulatory Review & Compliance Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA; format, allergens, QUID) (AFALAHAL)

Keywords

• Livestock verification services
• Beef traceability programs
• USDA process verification
• Third-party certification
• Animal disease traceability

Headquarters

HQ city

Castle Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Verification Services: IMI Global provides third-party verification services to beef producers (cow-calf, stocker, feedyard, dairy operations) enabling them to verify production claims and gain access to premium buyers, export markets, and branded beef programs. Revenue is generated through enrollment and ongoing verification service fees, with account management and on-site audit services included.
2. EID Tags and Traceability Products: Sale of IMI-approved Electronic Identification (EID/RFID) tags for Source & Age and other verification programs. Tags are customizable and sold as part of the traceability and verification solution.
3. Licensing & Labeling Support: Licensing and labeling support services helping producers, packers, and brands use program logos and claims correctly in compliance with FSIS and program-specific requirements. Revenue derived from service fees associated with obtaining permission to use program seals and reviewing compliant claim language.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IMI Global provides third-party verification and certification services for the U.S. beef industry, enabling cow-calf producers, feedyards, dairies, and feed suppliers to substantiate production claims under USDA Process Verified Programs. Its offerings include a layered suite of verification standards (Source & Age, NHTC, Verified Natural Beef, Grassfed, USDA Organic, Non-GMO, RaiseWell, Secure Beef Supply), specialty programs (Beef-on-Dairy, Breed Verified, Feed Verified, CARE Certified sustainability), USDA-approved EID/RFID traceability tags, licensing/labeling support, and the proprietary Beef Passport digital traceability platform.

Product overview

IMI Global Inc offers a platform-based portfolio of third-party beef verification programs, centered on the Beef Passport digital traceability platform and anchored by core Source & Age Verification services. The portfolio includes multiple add-on certification modules (NHTC, Verified Natural Beef, WFCF Grassfed, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, RaiseWell Certified, Secure Beef Supply) and specialized verification services (Beef-on-Dairy, Breed Verified, Feed Verified, Tags & Traceability, Claim Usage). The ecosystem is extended through partnerships such as the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator, an approved salebarns network, and U.S. CattleTrace support. All programs feed into the Beef Passport platform for consolidated record management and compliance monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CARE Certified: A comprehensive, third-party verified sustainability certification focusing on humane animal care, responsible resource management, and strengthening community ties.
• Beef Passport

Products and services

• Beef Verification Programs Umbrella portfolio of third-party verification services for beef producers covering source and age verification, natural beef claims, and NHTC certification, enabling producers to meet market requirements and access premium buyers.
• Beef-on-Dairy Verification Verification programs for dairy operations producing beef-cross calves; helps verify practices and position calves for success in verified cattle programs with documented traceability.
• Breed Verified Verification partnerships with breed associations (AngusLink/American Angus, Hereford Advantage, Piedmontese, Charolais Advantage, Red Angus FCCP & Allied Access, Gelbvieh Balancer Edge, Brangus Vigor, American Aberdeen, ABS InFocus) to authenticate genetic lineage and support verified breed claims in the cattle marketplace.
• Feed Verified Feed ingredient verification service that confirms feed products satisfy requirements for verification programs including NHTC, Verified Natural Beef, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Verified Grassfed.
• Tags & Traceability (EID Tags) Electronic Identification (EID/RFID) Program Compliant Tags and traceability systems that enable tracking of animal origin and movements, supporting compliance with Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rules and value-added verification claims. Tags are customizable by color, numbering, and ranch branding.
• Beef Passport Secure, confidential third-party digital platform housing cattle-level verification data with EID tag lookup, real-time notifications (100% tag read verification, missing tag alerts, fallout identification), ADT tag retirement service, and export verification compliance tools.
• CARE Certified Third-party verified sustainability certification covering livestock and poultry supply chains across three pillars: Animal Care, Environmental Stewardship, and People & Community, with annual audits and continuous improvement requirements.
• Claim Usage (Licensing & Labeling) Licensing and labeling support service that helps producers, packers, and brands use verification program logos and claims correctly, ensuring compliance with FSIS regulations and program-specific usage guidelines.
• Source & Age Verification USDA Process Verified Program that confirms each animal's origin and birthdate, meeting export requirements and ensuring supply chain traceability for premium domestic and international markets.
• Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Verification program confirming cattle are raised without added growth hormones, meeting strict international requirements and opening access to premium domestic and export markets.
• Verified Natural Beef (VNB) Certification ensuring cattle are raised under strict natural standards with no antibiotics, added hormones, or animal by-products, verifying the integrity of natural beef claims.
• WFCF Grassfed Certification confirming cattle are raised on an all-grass and forage diet with no grain, aligned with consumer demand for forage-fed beef and ensuring authenticity of grassfed claims.
• USDA Organic Certification for compliance with organic production standards ensuring environmentally friendly, synthetic-free practices, with cattle raised on organic feed and pasture with no GMOs or prohibited chemicals.
• Non-GMO Project Verified North America's leading non-GMO standard; confirms beef is produced without genetically modified inputs, verifying cattle are raised on a strictly non-GMO diet from birth to harvest.
• RaiseWell Certified Third-party standard for livestock combining rigorous animal welfare requirements with verified natural raising practices, including no antibiotics or added hormones and diets free of animal by-products.
• Secure Beef Supply Plans (SBS) Biosecurity planning program helping producers maintain operations and animal movement during disease outbreaks through proactive disease prevention strategies tailored to each operation.
• Approved Salebarns Network Network of approved salebarns eligible to support Source, Age, NHTC, Verified Natural Beef, and Veg-Fed claims, with some locations also meeting CARE Certified and Verified Grassfed program requirements.
• IGS Feeder Profit Calculator Partnership tool with International Genetic Solutions providing genetic data analysis to calculate relative value of feeder calves in a breed-agnostic, independent manner; available to IMI Global customers at no added cost since August 2018.
• U.S. CattleTrace Support Support for the national, producer-led animal disease traceability system by linking EID tags to data needed for traceback, enhancing biosecurity across the beef supply chain.

Quantifiable outcome

• Verified millions of cattle and worked with thousands of producers across North America over 30+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Where Food Comes FromcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMI Global joined the Where Food Comes From family in 2006 and operates as a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc. This parent company provides broader food verification expertise and resources, expanding IMI Global's reach while IMI remains focused on the beef industry.
• AngusLink (American Angus Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAngusLink is the American Angus Association's feeder calf program and a USDA-backed Process Verified Program combining breed verification with genetic merit scoring. It includes AngusVerified (confirms calves are sired by registered Angus bulls with minimum 50% Angus genetics) and the Genetic Merit Scorecard (predicts feedlot, grid, carcass, and maternal value).
• ABS InFocus Genetics (NuEra Genetics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABS Beef InFocus, powered by NuEra Genetics, brings proven beef sires into dairy herds to maximize calf value. Through this partnership, dairy producers can verify their calves are sired by Beef InFocus bulls, ensuring crossbred calves are recognized and rewarded for superior beef potential.
• American Aberdeen Premium BeefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American Aberdeen Premium Beef program verifies that calves are sired by registered Fullblood or Moderator Aberdeen bulls with DNA on record, assuring buyers that Aberdeen-influenced feeder calves deliver the breed's signature efficiency and high-yield, tender beef.
• Certified PiedmonteseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMI Global authenticates Piedmontese breed genetics and production protocols, assuring consumers that Certified Piedmontese beef is fully traceable and responsibly produced. Each animal is DNA-tested to verify Piedmontese heritage and raised without antibiotics or steroids.
• Charolais Advantage (American-International Charolais Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharAdvantage combines age, source and genetic verification for Charolais-influenced feeder cattle, documenting health protocols, BQA certification, and key performance indicators (growth, feed efficiency, carcass merit) and promoting these attributes to a broad network of buyers.
• Hereford Advantage (American Hereford Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHereford Advantage verifies participating calves meet rigorous standards for genetics and management — confirming Hereford-sired pedigree, documenting best-practice health protocols, BQA certification, source and age — providing producers with greater buyer exposure.
• Red Angus FCCP & Allied Access (Red Angus)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Red Angus Feeder Calf Certification Program (FCCP) confirms source, age and Red Angus genetics, signified by the program's distinctive yellow tag giving producers access to premium markets including export channels. Allied Access offers source and age verification for Red Angus-influenced calves that don't qualify for FCCP.
• Gelbvieh Balancer Edge (American Gelbvieh Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBalancer Edge is the American Gelbvieh Association's source- and age-verification program for feeder calves sired by Gelbvieh or Balancer bulls. Enables producers to officially brand cattle as Gelbvieh-influenced and layer on additional verifications such as Natural or NHTC.
• Brangus Vigor (International Brangus Breeders Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrangus Vigor is the International Brangus Breeders Association's verification program for feeder calves sired by registered Brangus or Ultrablack bulls, confirming source, age, and health protocols to boost buyer confidence and create premium market opportunities.
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMI Global's licensing and labeling oversight aligns with FSIS requirements. Every logo and statement put on product labels is backed by the same audit rigor that earned the verification. FSIS compliance ensures product labels genuinely reflect verified processes.
• U.S. CattleTraceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. CattleTrace is a national, producer-led system for animal disease traceability. IMI Global supports participation by linking EID tags to the data needed for traceback — enhancing biosecurity across the beef supply chain.
• International Genetic Solutions (IGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince August 2018, IMI Global has partnered with IGS to offer the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator to beef producers at no additional cost. This tool uses the largest set of genetic data available to calculate the Relative Value of feeder calves in a breed-agnostic, independent manner.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FoodChain ID: FoodChain ID provides third-party verification and certification services including Non-GMO Project verification, organic certification, and food fraud testing. Direct comparable to IMI on non-GMO and sustainability claim verification, particularly the Non-GMO Project Verified offering that IMI explicitly partners with.
• Global Animal Partnership: Global Animal Partnership (GAP) is an animal welfare certification standard covering beef and other livestock, similar in positioning to IMI's CARE Certified program. Comparable third-party verified multi-tier animal care standards with retail and foodservice adoption.
• Cert ID: Cert ID is a traceability and certification provider specializing in meat supply chains, offering Non-GMO and source verification programs comparable to IMI's portfolio. Operates in overlapping retail and processor channels, particularly for beef traceability into European and Asian export markets.
• Quality Assurance International (QAI): QAI is a USDA- and ISO-accredited organic and food certification body that directly competes with IMI's USDA Organic certification services and broader food-quality certification portfolio. Both serve protein producers navigating organic and natural claim requirements.
• Non-GMO Project: The Non-GMO Project is North America's leading standard for GMO avoidance verification and a direct input/comparator to IMI's Non-GMO Project Verified offering. While IMI is a verification partner rather than the standard-setter, both operate in the third-party non-GMO claim space.

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) giant serving food and agriculture clients worldwide. Competes in adjacent spaces such as food certification, supply chain audits, and traceability solutions with substantially larger geographic and category footprint.
• IdentiGEN (Eurofins): IdentiGEN provides DNA-based traceability and provenance verification for meat and seafood supply chains, now part of Eurofins. Competes directly with IMI's Beef Passport traceability platform using DNA-verified identity instead of EID-tag-only approaches, particularly for premium retailer and export programs.
• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a global certification body operating across food, agriculture, and sustainability. Overlaps with IMI on agricultural verification, sustainability certification (CARE-like claims), and Non-GMO Project verification, but offers a broader industry portfolio.
• NSF International: NSF is a large, established public health and safety organization offering food safety certification, traceability, and supply chain verification including for meat and protein producers. Represents a scaled, broader incumbent overlapping with IMI's regulatory compliance and auditing capabilities.

Emerging players

• SureHarvest: SureHarvest provides sustainability and certification software and services for the agricultural supply chain, including on-farm sustainability assessments. Comparable to IMI's CARE Certified sustainability program in coverage and producer-facing model, though more software-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WhereFoodComesFrom1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imi-global
• Instagraminstagram.com/wherefoodcomesfrom

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMI Global Inc