Western Livestock Journal : New Product Certified Humane Raised and Handled

Consumers shopping for meat from animals raised under humane conditions now have more options as Meyer Natural Angus becomes the first national beef supplier to receive certification to use the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label.

Meyer Natural Angus is a nationally distributed beef producer based in Lincoln NE. Pete and Gerry’s Eggs, Monroe, NH, produces eggs under the Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs brand, and the Nellie’s Nest Cage-Free Eggs brand for retail stores in the northeastern U.S.

Certification of both companies follows rigorous onsite inspections by Humane Farm Animal Care ( HFAC) professional. The “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label unveiled in May 2003, assures consumers a meat, poultry, eg, 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. Ten companies are now certified to use the new label.

Meyer Natural Angus is distributed in U.S. restaurants and retail stores, including Whole Foods markets in the northeast, Florida, Texas, and Chicago; Andronico’s, Draeger’s, Mollie Stone’s and PW Markets in Northern California; and Shaw’s, Wegman’s and Roche Bros, in the northeast. For more information about Meyer Natural Angus, visit the company’s Web site: www.meyernaturalangus.com.

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 Web site: www.certifiedhumane.org.