From WATTAgNet:
Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere has circulated a video that challenges the humane conditions of layers at a Morning Fresh Farms facility, which produces eggs to be sold at Sprouts Farmers Markets.
The video is claimed to have been filmed at a Morning Fresh Farms location in Platteville, Colorado, over the course of nine months, according to a Phoenix Business Journal report, and shows chickens in poor health. A consultation with a veterinarian is also shown in the video.
Sprouts issued the following statement in response to the video: “Animal welfare is of utmost importance to Sprouts, and we hold both our suppliers and ourselves to high standards in regard to supply chain transparency. All of our egg suppliers are required to meet or exceed USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services Standards, and any cage-free supplier must also meet or exceed animal welfare standards such as Certified Humane certification criteria outlined by Humane Farm Animal Care, among other nationally recognized programs. The Morning Fresh Farms’ Platteville, Colo. farm supplies Certified Humane cage-free eggs under the brand names Rocky Mountain Eggs and Egg-Land’s Best only to our Colorado and New Mexico stores, in addition to serving as an egg supplier to many other national retailers. Morning Fresh Farms has assured us that this video is not reflective of their cage-free facility in Colorado and have provided recent inspection reports and certification documents showing compliance.”
Morning Fresh Farms, which according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database is the 52nd largest egg company in the United States with 1.2 million hens, outlines its animal care practices on its website.
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