June 8th, 2011 Author: Monica Parpal
Quick service restaurants are often able to respond quickly to new customer demands, thanks to innovative workflow, new technology and sound operational practices. These advantages put the chain operator in a unique position to satisfy consumers’ wants and needs by fulfilling their latest demands with appealing new menu items. Of those latest demands, humanely-raised foods top the list of things Americans want from their food products; even more so than local and organic food items.
The mistreatment of animals has long been a hot-button issue for years, but in 2007 the quick-service industry really took charge. Burger King is one of the restaurant chains that paved the way for the humane treatment of animals when it announced its dedication to sourcing a portion of its eggs from cage-free suppliers, and a portion of its pork from crate-free farmers.
Also, terminology counts here. Free-range does not always guarantee animal welfare. Even properly constructed and managed indoor systems can satisfy an animal’s requirements for a healthful, happy life. Organic producers are not always concerned with animal welfare, either, although usually when one is concerned with environmental sustainability, better treatment of animals comes with it. That’s why there’s such hype now between knowing the difference between local, organic, free-range, cage-free and humanely-raised. (See the Humane Farm Animal Care’s website below for more details on this).
Interestingly, the McDonald’s board of directors has opposed cage-free eggs for its U.S. stores for over a year (Source), although they did agree to go 100% cage-free for their European stores. Perhaps things will begin to change in for U.S. McDonald’s by then, too.
Restaurants can expect that consumers will want to see new and different things from their favorite restaurants as times change. This signifies a company that is willing to satisfy consumers and play to the demand. To date, eight different states have outlawed extreme forms of confined animal farming, such as battery cages for hens.
With people becoming more and more educated about the source of their food products, restaurateurs can likely expect more of this type of demand in the future.
So, what can restaurants do when looking for more humane foods?
Restaurants can look for foods from sources labeled Certified Humane®, certified from Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) (http://www.certifiedhumane.org/). This is a nonprofit organization created to ameliorate the lives of farm animals through high welfare standards for animals in food production. The HFAC’s standards include prohibiting the use of growth hormones and letting animals be free to move around without confinement, yet with access to adequate shelter. They must also have access to sufficient, clean and nutritious food and water. Animal caretakers and farm managers must be skilled and trained, and comply with food safety and environmental regulations.
http://blog.foodservicewarehouse.com/blog/2011/06/08/step-aside-organic-hello-humane/comment-page-1/#comment-12439
www.FoodServiceWarehouse.com
Posted: June 8, 2011 by Certified Humane
June 8th, 2011 Author: Monica Parpal
Quick service restaurants are often able to respond quickly to new customer demands, thanks to innovative workflow, new technology and sound operational practices. These advantages put the chain operator in a unique position to satisfy consumers’ wants and needs by fulfilling their latest demands with appealing new menu items. Of those latest demands, humanely-raised foods top the list of things Americans want from their food products; even more so than local and organic food items.
The mistreatment of animals has long been a hot-button issue for years, but in 2007 the quick-service industry really took charge. Burger King is one of the restaurant chains that paved the way for the humane treatment of animals when it announced its dedication to sourcing a portion of its eggs from cage-free suppliers, and a portion of its pork from crate-free farmers.
Also, terminology counts here. Free-range does not always guarantee animal welfare. Even properly constructed and managed indoor systems can satisfy an animal’s requirements for a healthful, happy life. Organic producers are not always concerned with animal welfare, either, although usually when one is concerned with environmental sustainability, better treatment of animals comes with it. That’s why there’s such hype now between knowing the difference between local, organic, free-range, cage-free and humanely-raised. (See the Humane Farm Animal Care’s website below for more details on this).
Interestingly, the McDonald’s board of directors has opposed cage-free eggs for its U.S. stores for over a year (Source), although they did agree to go 100% cage-free for their European stores. Perhaps things will begin to change in for U.S. McDonald’s by then, too.
Restaurants can expect that consumers will want to see new and different things from their favorite restaurants as times change. This signifies a company that is willing to satisfy consumers and play to the demand. To date, eight different states have outlawed extreme forms of confined animal farming, such as battery cages for hens.
With people becoming more and more educated about the source of their food products, restaurateurs can likely expect more of this type of demand in the future.
So, what can restaurants do when looking for more humane foods?
Restaurants can look for foods from sources labeled Certified Humane®, certified from Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) (http://www.certifiedhumane.org/). This is a nonprofit organization created to ameliorate the lives of farm animals through high welfare standards for animals in food production. The HFAC’s standards include prohibiting the use of growth hormones and letting animals be free to move around without confinement, yet with access to adequate shelter. They must also have access to sufficient, clean and nutritious food and water. Animal caretakers and farm managers must be skilled and trained, and comply with food safety and environmental regulations.
http://blog.foodservicewarehouse.com/blog/2011/06/08/step-aside-organic-hello-humane/comment-page-1/#comment-12439
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