Three Cleveland-area organizations –- Heinen’s Fine Foods, the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy and Blue Hen Farms –- today announced their affiliation with the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program administered by the nonprofit organization Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC).
One of Ohio’s most prominent grocery store chains, Heinen’s Fine Foods announced at a news briefing at its Brecksville store that it plans to expand its offerings of meat, poultry, dairy and egg products that are Certified Humane®.
“We support the Certified Humane program because it is aligned with our values as a company. We believe in treating all of our business partners with respect, and we extend this same respect to the animals that provide us with food,” said Tom Heinen, who works directly with many of the store’s meat suppliers. “We will be supplying our stores with more products from producers that are Certified Humane.”
A family-owned business since 1929, Heinen’s has 16 stores in northeastern Ohio. Heinen’s became the second U.S. food retailer to formally support Certified Humane products, following New York City retailer D’Agostino, which embraced the Certified Humane program earlier this year. More information about Heinens can be found at www.heinens.com.
Humane Farm Animal Care’s program has also been endorsed by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy’s Countryside Initiative, a nonprofit organization that works to rebuild local and regional farming and food systems in northeast Ohio.
“Humane Farm Animal Care’s certification process is both rigorous and reasonable, and we respect the integrity of the Certified Humane label,” said CVCC’s Executive Director Darwin Kelsey. More information about the Countryside Initiative can be found at www.cvcountryside.org.
In addition, one of Countryside Initiative’s participating farmers, Blue Hen Family Farm, operated by Joan and Bob Hall in Brecksville, this week became the first Ohio food producer to gain Certified Humane status. The label will be used on its eggs, which are sold at the farm. Blue Hen can be reached at bluehenfamilyfarm@mac.com.
Since HFAC’s program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 56 companies have been certified. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC’s precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior.
HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by a veritable “Who’s Who” of national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts. Producer compliance with the HFAC standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors.
HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations and individuals.
News from Humane Farm Animal Care
P.O. Box 727, Herndon, Virginia 20172 – (703) 435-3883
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michele Wells, Humane Farm Animal Care – (303) 417-0696
Heinen’s Fine Foods and Other Cleveland Organizations Support Certified Humane® Foods
Posted: November 16, 2006 by Certified Humane
Three Cleveland-area organizations –- Heinen’s Fine Foods, the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy and Blue Hen Farms –- today announced their affiliation with the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program administered by the nonprofit organization Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC).
One of Ohio’s most prominent grocery store chains, Heinen’s Fine Foods announced at a news briefing at its Brecksville store that it plans to expand its offerings of meat, poultry, dairy and egg products that are Certified Humane®.
“We support the Certified Humane program because it is aligned with our values as a company. We believe in treating all of our business partners with respect, and we extend this same respect to the animals that provide us with food,” said Tom Heinen, who works directly with many of the store’s meat suppliers. “We will be supplying our stores with more products from producers that are Certified Humane.”
A family-owned business since 1929, Heinen’s has 16 stores in northeastern Ohio. Heinen’s became the second U.S. food retailer to formally support Certified Humane products, following New York City retailer D’Agostino, which embraced the Certified Humane program earlier this year. More information about Heinens can be found at www.heinens.com.
Humane Farm Animal Care’s program has also been endorsed by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy’s Countryside Initiative, a nonprofit organization that works to rebuild local and regional farming and food systems in northeast Ohio.
“Humane Farm Animal Care’s certification process is both rigorous and reasonable, and we respect the integrity of the Certified Humane label,” said CVCC’s Executive Director Darwin Kelsey. More information about the Countryside Initiative can be found at www.cvcountryside.org.
In addition, one of Countryside Initiative’s participating farmers, Blue Hen Family Farm, operated by Joan and Bob Hall in Brecksville, this week became the first Ohio food producer to gain Certified Humane status. The label will be used on its eggs, which are sold at the farm. Blue Hen can be reached at bluehenfamilyfarm@mac.com.
Since HFAC’s program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 56 companies have been certified. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC’s precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior.
HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by a veritable “Who’s Who” of national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts. Producer compliance with the HFAC standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors.
HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations and individuals.
News from Humane Farm Animal Care
P.O. Box 727, Herndon, Virginia 20172 – (703) 435-3883
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michele Wells, Humane Farm Animal Care – (303) 417-0696
Category: press