Video prompts Kroger to suspend Mahard egg supply

Supermarket chain Kroger and Mahard Egg Farm were targeted in an undercover video that was allegedly filmed at a Mahard facility in Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Roy Graber Headshot
Eduardo Mota Silva, Freeimages.com
Eduardo Mota Silva, Freeimages.com

Supermarket chain Kroger and Mahard Egg Farms were targeted in an undercover video that was allegedly filmed at a Mahard facility in Sulphur, Oklahoma.

The video, which was released this month by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) shows instances of mistreatment, including slamming hen heads against hard objects and clubbing hens.

In a press release, PETA called on Kroger, which is involved in a lawsuit alleging collusion among the country's top broiler companies, to “reassess its relationship,” with Mahard Egg Farms.

“This nightmarish footage showing workers beating chickens’ heads against metal bars and sick, neglected hens living in squalor among decaying corpses should be enough to ruin any decent person’s taste for eggs,” PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch alleged in the release. “PETA urges consumers to remember the suffering of these hens and leave eggs off their plates.”

According to the PETA release, the Murray County Sheriff’s Department began a criminal investigation into the alleged animal abuse.

Statement from Mahard Egg Farms

Mahard Egg Farms said in a statement that animal abuse at its facilities will not be accepted, and that it is taking steps to assure workers are properly trained on appropriate bird care.

The statement reads:

 “Assuring the health and well-being of our flocks is always a priority, and we take any claims of animal abuse on our farms very seriously.

“We have viewed this video, taken by an activist from PETA working undercover at our farm in Sulphur, OK.  Like others, we find some of the behavior and images to be disturbing and unacceptable. This mistreatment of hens is inconsistent with our high standards and our clearly defined policies for the care of our flocks, and our team has moved swiftly to respond.

“We have conducted a detailed internal review of our farm operations, and our compliance team is onsite in Oklahoma retraining our employees in proper care of our flocks. Abuse is absolutely unacceptable on our farms, and we will take further disciplinary action as warranted.

“Our entire Mahard family will continue to be vigilant in ensuring our employees fully understand and abide by our stringent expectations.”

Kroger responds to allegations

In a statement released to the Cincinnati Business Courier, Kroger spokesperson Kristal Howard said: "Mahard participates in the United Egg Producers Certified program for hen care. We were assured last week by Mahard's leadership that they immediately initiated an internal review of farm operations and began re-training their team in proper animal care. While the investigation is being conducted, we are taking steps to suspend supply from the facility shown in this video. We have also asked Mahard to share their comprehensive corrective action plan and timeline with us, which we will review in partnership with animal welfare experts."

According to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, Mahard Egg Farms is headquartered in Prosper, Texas, and has egg laying facilities in both Texas and Oklahoma, as well as a feed mill in Texas. As of the end of 2016, the company had a flock of 4 million hens.

Page 1 of 1576
Next Page