Meeting the changing demands of today’s chicken consumer

To stay relevant to conscientious consumers looking for antibiotic-free and humanely raised products, Wayne Farms is changing the way it raises some of its flocks.

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(Photo by Austin Alonzo)
(Photo by Austin Alonzo)

To stay relevant to conscientious consumers looking for antibiotic-free and humanely raised products, Wayne Farms is changing the way it raises some of its flocks.

Wayne Farms LLC, the nation’s seventh largest integrated poultry company, is known as primarily a supplier to foodservice companies, but it is moving into the consumer facing market with its Naked Truth product line.

“Conscientious consumers want to know where their food comes from, and they continue to raise the bar regarding animal welfare,” Tom Bell, vice president and general manager of prepared foods at Wayne Farms, said in a May 2019 release announcing Naked Truth’s launch in 425 Whole Foods Market stores. “They’re paying more attention to labels, and they’re opting for high quality chicken products sourced from flocks whose care has been verified by a trusted third party. Naked Truth products are literally made to order for that consumer.”

Wayne Farms’ Naked Truth products are raised on a no-antibiotics-ever (NAE) and vegetarian diet program. Along with that, the birds are raised in accordance with the Global Animal Partnership’s (GAP) chicken welfare standards.

All Naked Truth products are GAP Step 2 rated, meaning the birds are raised in housing with additional space, natural light and enrichments designed to stimulate the birds. Wayne’s GAP-certified products also have a slower growth rate than conventional broilers — as close to the 50 grams per day growth limit set by GAP as the current breed allows — and are processed using controlled atmosphere stunning.

Wayne began producing Naked Truth birds in September 2017. Along with foodservice, the products are sold directly to consumers at Whole Foods Market. The company declined to comment on the size of its GAP-certified operation.

Some consumers are interested in transparency in how products are made, and others are interested in varied and different product benefits. Non-governmental organizations are also pressuring companies on their concerns whether they be animal welfare, environmental sustainability or eliminating antibiotic use.

Wayne Farms CEO and President J. Clinton “Clint” Rivers will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Chicken Marketing Summit where he will share how Wayne Farms is working with customers to offer them choices and solutions that meet their changing needs.

In addition to its Naked Truth product line, Wayne produces NAE birds raised with and without a vegetarian diet. The company began NAE production in October 2015.

According to WATT Global Media’s Top Broiler Companies survey, Wayne Farms produces 47.8 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis. Wayne Farms is the second largest integrator working with GAP. The largest is Perdue Foods.

Attend 2019 Chicken Marketing Summit

The 2019 Chicken Marketing Summit will be held at Belmond Charleston Place in Charleston, South Carolina, July 21-23. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how channels, choices and challengers influence consumers’ chicken purchasing behavior.

For more information and to attend, visit: www.wattglobalmedia.com/chickenmarketingsummit/

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