NPPC Submits Comments on Proposed USDA Rule for Gene-Edited Livestock

For more than two years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dragged its feet on the development of gene-edited livestock, an emerging technology with tremendous promise for livestock agriculture,causing American agriculture to fall behind in the global race to advance its development. Thankfully, under a recently proposed rule, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will have primary regulatory jurisdiction, which “will foster innovation, allow for producer access to this technology, and preserve the preeminence of American agriculture globally,” the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) wrote in comments submitted Wednesday to the agency.

Gene editing is used to make specific changes within an animal’s own genome. Gene editing will allow us to produce animals that are more disease-resistant, require fewer antibiotics and with...

International Dairy Queen On Track to Meet Cage-Free Egg Commitment in 2025

International Dairy Queen Corporation (IDQ) announced it is on track to meet its cage-free egg commitment in the U.S. and Canada for shell eggs, liquid eggs and DQ® proprietary products by 2025.

“In 2016, we made a commitment to animal welfare when we announced our transition to cagefree eggs in the U.S. and Canada by 2025,” said Steve Min, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at International Dairy Queen. “As we continue to make progress toward our goal, we reduced...

Survey: Meat Will Be a Key Ingredient for Americans Resolving to Eat Better in 2021

As many Americans are into week one of a new eating regimen, Applegate found that 72% of those surveyed believe meat should be part of a healthy diet and that 55% are resolving to cut back on sugar.

Despite the rising popularity of plant-based trends and lab-created “meat” substitutes, the survey found 58% of adults have no plans to consume less meat in 2021 and illustrated how consumers are seeking natural and organic meat products with...

UK Government Consults on Ending Live Animal Exports for Slaughter

Plans to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening have been unveiled by the Environment Secretary today, in the start of a renewed push by government to strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader on animal welfare.

These proposals form part of an eight-week consultation, launched in England and Wales, seeking views on how to better protect animal welfare during transport.

Live animals commonly have to endure excessively long journeys during exports, causing...

USDA: Amino Acid Helps Shore Up Defenses of Swine

A third round of feeding trials conducted by a team of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has again shown that a dietary supplement called L-glutamine can naturally promote growth and wellness in pigs.

Jay S. Johnson, an animal scientist with ARS's Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, and his Purdue University collaborators are investigating L-glutamine as a natural alternative to using dietary antibiotics. Swine producers had used antibiotics to...

Perdue Farms Shares Progress on Industry-Leading Animal Care Goals, New Initiatives

Perdue Farms hosted its fifth annual Animal Care Summit, held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since announcing the company’s Commitments to Animal Care in 2016, the summit has been a key part of Perdue’s animal care strategy.

“Now in our company’s 100th year, we are proud to continue making advancements and leading our industry in the standards to which we raise our animals,” said Mark McKay, President of Perdue Poultry and Meat. “Strong animal husbandry and stewardship keep our animals healthier and, importantly, we believe translate to a better product for consumers.”

During the 2020 meeting, Perdue subject-matter experts shared the latest updates on the company’s industry-leading animal welfare goals and initiatives, including...

FAO and OIE Kickstart Global Initiative to Stop Spread of Deadly Pig Disease

As African swine fever (ASF) marches swiftly across countries affecting food security and livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable populations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are calling on all nations and partners to join forces to keep this deadly pig disease at bay under a new initiative.

The Global Control of ASF Initiative, recently launched under the GF-TADs umbrella, supports actors at every level to coordinate and strengthen control measures to minimise the impact of this complex and challenging disease.

Bringing together governments, industry and specialists, FAO and OIE will present...

Cargill Study Shows Consumer Support of Farmers Grows As a Result of COVID-19 Challenges

A recent Cargill study found a majority of consumers stand ready to rally around farmers in support of their efforts to put food on tables around the globe. Consumer recognition for the challenges and expectations farmers face grew amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as processing and transportation bottlenecks, especially in the protein industry, stretched the global food supply. In the latest Feed4Thought survey, Cargill found nearly one-third of consumers in the U.S., Brazil, Vietnam and Norway have a renewed appreciation for animal agriculture.

“Farmers and ranchers have faced tremendous pressures caused by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions. And those pressures came on top of the multitude of challenges farmers already faced as they worked to feed the world in...

USDA Updates the National Poultry Improvement Plan

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is updating the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) to align with changes in the poultry industry and to incorporate new scientific information and technologies into the NPIP. These updates are consistent with the recommendations approved by representatives from across the poultry industry at the 2018 NPIP Biennial Conference.

In this update, APHIS is...

Bell & Evans Begins Construction On an Organic Chicken Facility

Premium poultry producer Bell & Evans began construction on a new 411,500 square foot, Organic-Certified Chicken Harvesting Facility in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania. The first precast walls were placed in July, and the facility will be operational by late 2021. The project will cost the company approximately $330 million and double its current production capacity.

Bell & Evans produces 100% premium Raised Without Antibiotics chicken and Organic chicken, approximately 60% and 40% of its business, respectively. The additional capacity will allow Bell & Evans to continue expanding...

Tyson Foods to Verify Sustainable Cattle Production Practices at Scale

Tyson Foods announced its work to verify sustainable beef production practices on more than 5 million acres of cattle grazing land in the U.S. This would be the largest known beef transparency program in the U.S., and part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainably feeding the world while taking care of people, the planet and animals.

Working with Where Food Comes From, the largest provider of certification and verification services to the food industry, Tyson Foods will source cattle from BeefCARE™ verified beef producers who are committed to raising cattle using...

Kentucky Fried Chicken and 3D Bioprinting Solutions to Use a Bioprinter to Produce Nuggets 

Kentucky Fried Chicken is taking the next step in its innovative concept of creating a "restaurant of the future" by launching the development of innovative 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken meat in cooperation with the 3D Bioprinting Solutions research laboratory.

The idea of ​​crafting the “meat of the future” arose among partners in response to the growing popularity of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the annual increase in demand for alternatives to traditional meat and the need to develop more environmentally friendly methods of food production.

The project aims to create the world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets. They will be as close as possible in both taste and appearance to the original KFC product, while being more...

Animal Welfare Audits Across Tyson Foods’ Poultry Business are Now Certified

Tyson Foods announced it is the first company to receive audit certification for all poultry across its supply chain after its FarmCheck Animal Welfare Program completed the certification of company-wide poultry audits from the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).

PAACO recently certified FarmCheck audits for both breeders and turkeys, bringing the company’s total certified poultry audits to three, following broiler chicken certification by PAACO in 2019.

The FarmCheck program is a third-party animal welfare auditing program that ensures livestock and poultry suppliers for Tyson Foods are evaluated and monitored for important animal welfare criteria including...

Maple Leaf Foods Releases 2019 Sustainability Report

Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., announced the release of its 2019 Sustainability Report, outlining the company's key programs and achievements during the past year, as well as future initiatives and priorities supporting Maple Leaf Foods' purposeful journey to be the most sustainable protein company on earth.

In 2019, Maple Leaf Foods continued its commitment to sustainability and made meaningful progress, including becoming the first major carbon neutral food company in the world and setting science-based greenhouse gas emissions targets. Maple Leaf Foods' commitment to the environment comes from a recognition that producing nutrient-dense protein takes...

Smithfield Foods Releases 2019 Sustainability Impact Report

Smithfield Foods, Inc. today released its 2019 Sustainability Impact Report, demonstrating significant progress in reaching major milestones and continuing efforts to feed the world’s population in a responsible way. Smithfield’s industry-leading sustainability program operates across five key pillars, representing areas of strategic focus that are important to its business, communities and society-at-large. These include the humane treatment of animals, stewardship of the environment, production of safe and high-quality food, contributions to strengthen its local communities and safety and well-being of its people.

“2020 has presented the world with an unprecedented crisis that is impacting the health, well-being and sustainability of people, communities and businesses everywhere. In turn, we have seen an increased reliance upon critical industries and companies to provide essential products and services at...

Pilgrim’s Publishes 2019 Sustainability Achievements and Advancement Toward 2020 Goals

Pilgrim’s Pride today announced the release of its 2019 Sustainability Report and progress toward 2020 sustainability goals. The report transparently details the company’s progress in the key priority areas of team member health and safety, product integrity, animal welfare, water and energy across its operations in the UK, Continental Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States.

“The Pilgrim’s global team is driven by our passion to sustainably produce food that positively impacts the lives of our team members, grower partners, customers, shareholders and society,” said Jayson Penn, President and CEO, Pilgrim’s. “We are focused on doing things the right way and creating...

JBS USA Shares 2019 Sustainability Achievements and Progress Toward 2020 Goals

JBS USA announced the release of its 2019 Sustainability Report and progress toward 2020 sustainability targets. The report transparently details the company’s sustainability actions across its global operations in North America, the UK, Continental Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

“Despite the uncertainties of today, our commitment to produce food sustainably at JBS USA and Pilgrim’s has not changed and is more important than ever,” said Kim Stackhouse, Ph.D., JBS USA Sustainability Director. “As a food company focused on improving lives through nutrition, we are humbled by our team’s accomplishments in 2019 to responsibly provide food for families around the world, while reducing...

Tyson Foods Publishes 2019 Sustainability Report 

Tyson Foods, Inc. published its 2019 Sustainability Report, “Grow – Deliver - Sustain”, outlining progress toward its sustainability goals and announcing key achievements in five focus areas: Food, Animal Welfare, Environment, Workplace, and Communities. The goal of Tyson Foods' sustainability initiative is to ensure the company produces safe, nutritious food for the global population and makes a positive impact on the world.

Tyson Foods’ commitments to help build a more safe, environmentally sound and sustainable food system represent a key element of the company's broader vision to raise the world's expectations for how much good food can do. Its strategy for sustainably feeding the world with the fastest-growing protein brands focuses on growing its business by delivering superior value to consumers and...