October 16, 2012
Tyson Foods, Inc. on Friday (Oct.12) announced it is launching a programme to personally audit the treatment of animals at the livestock and poultry farms that supply the company.
The effort is in line with the company's core value to serve as a steward of the animals entrusted to it.
"We know more consumers want assurance their food is being produced responsibly, and we think two important ways to do that are by conducting on-farm audits while also continuing to research ways to improve how farm animals are raised," said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods."
Tyson currently works with more than 12,000 independent livestock and poultry farmers. This includes 5,000 family poultry farmers, 3,000 family hog farmers and 4,000 family cattle farmers. The company has long been an industry leader in animal welfare, employing more than a dozen veterinarians and maintaining an Office of Animal Well-being since 2000.
The audits - called the Tyson FarmCheckâ„¢ Programme - have already begun on a trial basis on some of the 3,000 independent hog farms that supply the company. Auditors are visiting the farms to check on such things as animal access to food and water, as well as proper human-animal interaction and worker training.
The FarmCheckâ„¢ programme has been under development since early spring 2012. Although Tyson personnel have been conducting the audits so far, the company plans to ultimately involve independent, third party auditors. It also intends to expand the programme to include chicken and cattle farms by January 2014. The audits are being developed by experienced veterinarians and animal welfare experts and are expected to include measures that build upon current voluntary farm industry programmes.
Tyson Foods also plans to develop a new Farm Animal Well-Being Research Programme to review existing research as well as fund and promote additional research that the company believes will lead to continued improvements in animal raising methods.
Both the FarmCheckâ„¢ programme and the research programmes will be overseen by a new, external, Animal Well-Being Advisory Committee that Tyson Foods is establishing. Those selected to serve will include people with expertise in farm animal behaviour, health, production and ethics. The committee is expected to begin its work in March 2013 and will help Tyson Foods determine research priorities and ways to improve the FarmCheckâ„¢ Programme.
Tyson Foods is selecting a special team of senior leaders from key areas of the company to oversee the FarmCheckTM programme, the research programme and the company's interaction with the external advisory committee. Dean Danilson, who has been Vice President of Food Safety & Quality Control for Tyson Foods, is now Vice President of Animal Well-Being Programmes. He and his staff will manage the audits, research and external advisory committee activities for hogs, cattle and chickens.
Tyson Foods, Inc., founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognised market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves.
