Incanto is First California Restaurant to be “Certified Humane”

San Francisco restaurant Incanto is the first California restaurant to receive “Certified Humane” certification by the national non-profit organization Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC).  Support of the Certified Humane standards means that Incanto commits to using foods from producers that have met Certified Humane standards wherever possible.

Since HFAC’s program was unveiled in May 2003, 36 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.

Ranked as one of the Bay Area’s top 100 restaurants by the San Francisco Chronicle, Incanto is an Italian-inspired restaurant with a menu that changes daily.  It features house-cured meats, unusual regional pastas, fresh local seafood and sustainably grown produce. Incanto currently serves meats from two Certified Humane producers — Prather Ranch and Meyer Natural Angus.

“We are encouraging all of our purveyors to review and embrace this important set of standards for animal husbandry,” said Incanto chef Chris Cosentino.

Incanto’s owner Mark Pastore added, “Bay Area diners care deeply about how their food is raised. Many other local restaurants have long made a commitment to serving humanely raised food. We expect many more will soon join Incanto in supporting the Certified Humane standard.”

For more information about Incanto, visit www.incanto.biz.

The Certified Humane program has been embraced by many top East Coast restaurants, including 5 Ninth, Sapa, Fifty Seven Fifty Seven at the Four Seasons, Sumile, Yumcha and The Tasting Room in New York City.  Five restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area are also “Certified Humane.” They are Equinox, Marcel’s, Tosca and Melrose in Washington, Hunter’s Head in Upperville, Va., and Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va.

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. More information can be found at HFAC’s website, www.certifiedhumane.org.

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