E. Frank Hopkins is the only USDC approved plant in the Tri-State area and the 57th approved plant in United States. This means they may bear the official USDC inspection and Grade Mark. They have been sanitarily inspected, approved and certified as being capable of producing safe, wholesome products in accordance with specific government quality regulations - unique to the Philadelphia area.

In accordance with their approval contract, E. Frank Hopkins maintains a strictly enforced quality control system. Every product coming in the door is required to go through a detailed inspection. Temperature, weight, contamination, decomposition, product labeling, smell and freshness are carefully inspected by an employee trained to examine that particular product. If the product does not pass inspection, it is not accepted and sent back to the supplier.

Once the product enters the plant, it is labeled and dated. This helps facilitate the identification of the species and insure proper rotation. The fish is kept freshly iced at all times and securely covered to prevent contamination. Cooler temperatures are electronically monitored seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and physically checked twice a day.

Every day, prior to operations, a plant inspection is performed. This inspection includes: rating and checking the physical condition of the plant, verifying clean and sanitized work areas, examining the preparation of raw materials, the processing operation, packing and freezing operations and employee practices and hygiene. Scales are also certified twice a day to authenticate weight.