January 2020 marked the conclusion of an important agreement between US premium poultry producer Bell & Evans and Marel. For Marel, the state-of-the-art Greenfield poultry harvesting plant in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, means one of the largest transactions to date. The partnership is built on shared values and vision. A vision for sustainability, animal well-being and food safety and the will to drive further transformation of the poultry industry.
100% RULE
“At Bell & Evans, we believe that if you’re committed to do the right thing, you should commit 100%. We call it the 100% Rule,” says owner Scott Sechler. An important part of Bell & Evans’ 100% rule is that they’re fully committed to premium and organic chicken, no commodity. Moving the bar higher than US regulations, Bell & Evans is the real US pioneer in organic chickens. It even has the world’s first organic-certified, animal welfare focused chicken hatchery where chicks have immediate access to organic feed, fresh water and light and are not handled by machinery. In June 2019, Bell & Evans fully transitioned to its new ‘Das Klassenbester’ chicken, a higher-welfare, Grade A breed of broilers, which completely replaced the existing breed of chickens.
Chicken well-being is a priority in Bell & Evans’ 100% Rule. For more than 20 years, Bell & Evans chickens are raised without antibiotics and within a unique, low stress management system from egg to farm to processing and including transportation. Bell & Evans’ standards significantly exceed those of USDA Certified Organic.
A TRUE PARTNERSHIP
“We are very pleased to partner with Bell & Evans in this transformational project as we share the same values and vision. It is through partnerships with companies like Bell & Evans that we realize our vision of transforming the way food is processed,” says Roger Claessens, Executive Vice President of Marel Poultry. “Bell & Evans is known to add maximum value to the entire chain, by maintaining highest production quality from egg to end product. The company recognizes that only a strong partnership, covering the entire processing line can raise the quality of poultry processing to the same high level. We’re happy that Marel can contribute to this final link in their value chain.”
