By Robert Rodriguez – The Fresno Bee
Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 | 11:26 PM
Animal welfare advocate Adele Douglass cringed when she heard the news that another meat-processing plant was implicated in a video showing acts of animal cruelty.
As the founder of the Virginia-based Humane Animal Farm Care, Douglass has made it her life’s mission to champion animal welfare issues.
Her nonprofit organization — {cms_selflink page=’home’ text=’certifiedhumane.org’} — provides a certification program for livestock producers who raise and slaughter animals using industry-accepted humane guidelines.
It’s a program that grows every year, especially after animal cruelty videos surface. The latest case involves the Hanford-based Central Valley Meat Co., which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA has suspended inspections at the plant while it looks into allegations that workers mistreated animals during the slaughtering process.
The USDA requires meat processors to follow food safety and animal humane guidelines, but organizations such as Douglass’ provide an extra layer of assurance for skittish consumers.
“Although the USDA seal tells you that they are in compliance with federal guidelines, consumers still feel very strongly about this issue,” said Janet Riley, spokeswoman for the American Meat Institute. “And they will buy products that reflect their values.”
Humane Animal Farm Care and another Virginia-based group, Animal Welfare Approved, outline strict standards for raising and slaughtering animals. As part of their certification programs, both organizations also make routine inspections of the slaughtering process. Central Valley Meat is not one of their clients.
“Even though people eat animals, they still want to know that they have been raised and slaughtered humanely,” Douglass said. “They want to know that the animal has lived a long life and has not been treated cruelly.”
The number of animals that have been certified under the Humane Animal Farm Care guidelines has jumped from 143,000 in 2003 to 32.7 million last year.
“And it is because of consumers that we have had this growth,” Douglass said.
Read more here: www.fresnobee.com
fresnobee.com
Posted: August 22, 2012 by Certified Humane
By Robert Rodriguez – The Fresno Bee
Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 | 11:26 PM
Animal welfare advocate Adele Douglass cringed when she heard the news that another meat-processing plant was implicated in a video showing acts of animal cruelty.
As the founder of the Virginia-based Humane Animal Farm Care, Douglass has made it her life’s mission to champion animal welfare issues.
Her nonprofit organization — {cms_selflink page=’home’ text=’certifiedhumane.org’} — provides a certification program for livestock producers who raise and slaughter animals using industry-accepted humane guidelines.
It’s a program that grows every year, especially after animal cruelty videos surface. The latest case involves the Hanford-based Central Valley Meat Co., which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA has suspended inspections at the plant while it looks into allegations that workers mistreated animals during the slaughtering process.
The USDA requires meat processors to follow food safety and animal humane guidelines, but organizations such as Douglass’ provide an extra layer of assurance for skittish consumers.
“Although the USDA seal tells you that they are in compliance with federal guidelines, consumers still feel very strongly about this issue,” said Janet Riley, spokeswoman for the American Meat Institute. “And they will buy products that reflect their values.”
Humane Animal Farm Care and another Virginia-based group, Animal Welfare Approved, outline strict standards for raising and slaughtering animals. As part of their certification programs, both organizations also make routine inspections of the slaughtering process. Central Valley Meat is not one of their clients.
“Even though people eat animals, they still want to know that they have been raised and slaughtered humanely,” Douglass said. “They want to know that the animal has lived a long life and has not been treated cruelly.”
The number of animals that have been certified under the Humane Animal Farm Care guidelines has jumped from 143,000 in 2003 to 32.7 million last year.
“And it is because of consumers that we have had this growth,” Douglass said.
Read more here: www.fresnobee.com
Category: news