Pork consumers increasingly demand verification of pigs’ welfare and humane treatment during production. As of September 1, all of Niman Ranch’s pork, beef, lamb and processed products,including bacon, sausages, hot dogs and hams, are officially certified humane.
Niman Ranch has joined Humane Farm Animal Care’s (HFAC) Certified Humane program. With Niman come the company’s more than 720 independent family farms and ranches throughout the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and mid-Atlantic regions. Niman was purchased by Perdue in 2015.
"Having Certified Humane verification across all Niman Ranch products allows restaurants and grocers to embrace values-driven products today’s millennial consumers are demanding,” Jeff Tripician, Niman Ranch general manager and CMO, said in a press release. “We know the extra layer of Certified Humane certification enhances our already strict animal welfare protocols and instills confidence with our customers.”
Requirements for certification
Under the Certified Humane program, producers must use HFAC’s Animal Care Standards for the humane treatment of farm animals raised in food production and be inspected regularly to be in compliance with the Certified Humane program.
For humane certification, animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behaviors, like moving freely on pastures. Certification means no cages, no crates and no tie stalls.
Producers must comply with food safety and environmental regulations to achieve certification. Processors must comply with the American Meat Institute Standards. The slaughter standard was written by Dr. Temple Grandin, a member of the HFAC scientific committee.
The Certified Humane label is available in five countries, US, Canada, Brazil, Peru and Chile. Recently, poultry producer BRF was accepted into the Certified Humane program for 33 of its chicken farms in Goiás, Brazil.
