GBC Foods LLC, a family owned, cage-free egg production company in Nashville, N.C., certified with the American Humane Certified label, is the first company in the U.S. to operate under American Humane Certified’s three-tiered auditing system. The system allows American Humane to monitor animal welfare at the facility remotely through real-time video monitoring, to perform annual on-site audits and observe the company’s production data on an ongoing basis through a proprietary online reporting system.
The video monitoring capability was developed for American Humane by HS3 Technologies Inc., a security solutions integrator and provider. The online reporting component was developed by CDC Software to ensure transparency and accountability in animal welfare.
The American Humane online reporting feature uses hand-held computers that producers use for regular reporting from the field. Data is sent to American Humane to evaluate for variances or problems. Issues are communicated to producers for assessment and correction. The system will also be used by American Humane Certified independent auditors for annual audits of producer’s facilities.
The video monitoring offers around-the-clock observation of production houses, trucks transporting animals and live areas of processing plants. Computers monitor the video feed for extraordinary events, alerting management and American Humane Certified so that corrective action can be taken.
Online reporting and video monitoring will be installed in facilities with other species during the current beta testing phase. The tracking system is expected to be in full use for all American Humane Certified producers and all species by the middle of next year.
A sample of online video monitoring is available upon request to American Humane Certified.
