Until Foster Farms goes public, with data and risk responsibility, with 621 sick, puff pieces like getting the keys to the city should be scorned.

According to the Modesto Bee, without Livingston, there is no Foster Farms, and without Foster Farms, there is no Livingston.

Those were the words of Mayor Pro Tem Gurpal Samra as he explained the company’s impact on the city. Samra joined Mayor Rodrigo Espinoza and Councilman Arturo Sicairos in presenting Foster Farms CEO Ron Foster with a commemorative key to the city Tuesday night.

The company was recognized for its 75th anniversary during a special meeting at the City Council chamber.

Foster said he’s grateful for the support of the Livingston community, especially amid a salmonella outbreak and cockroach infestation that shut down the plant for days sending nearly 3,000 employees home without pay.

“I think when things like what’s happened in the last eight months occur it impacts not only the employees, but also the community,” Foster said. “Once this happened, we took a multihurdle approach to controlling salmonella. We now believe we are the best in class with salmonella control.”

Foster also credited the Livingston plant’s employees for their hard work and loyalty. Many of them come from families that have worked multiple generations for the company.