As part of its focus on sustainable food production, Tyson Foods
(NYSE:TSN) has launched a broad, new animal well-being initiative
that combines the latest technology with high-touch monitoring and
training to improve the care of chickens.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c6e997b-0231-4916-9a28-685e24811653http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14249a64-45fb-42f2-a62f-94ece3f4de8b
The company has implemented the U.S. meat industry’s most
extensive third-party remote video auditing (RVA) system, is
fielding what is believed to be the world’s largest team of animal
well-being specialists and is introducing a pilot project for
controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) at two of its poultry
facilities this year.
“Ensuring the well-being of the animals in our care is a core
part of our broader sustainability journey and these initiatives
are the latest examples of our leadership in this important area,”
said Justin Whitmore, chief sustainability officer for Tyson Foods.
“We’re also piloting other potential innovations as we become the
world’s most sustainable producer of protein.”
“Animal welfare is part science, part compassion, and it
requires management commitment to learning, training and constant
monitoring,” said Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of animal science
at Colorado State University and a member of Tyson Foods’ Animal
Well-Being Advisory Panel.
To help monitor live bird handling, the company has rolled out
the industry’s largest third-party RVA program in the U.S.,
covering 33 poultry plants. The company is using Arrowsight, a
leading provider of remote video auditing technology and data
analytics services, which has extensive animal welfare monitoring
experience. Video from cameras in Tyson Foods’ chicken plants is
analyzed by trained off-site auditors and data feedback is provided
daily, weekly and monthly to plant management to deliver excellence
in animal welfare practices.
Tyson Foods also is launching an innovative RVA pilot project to
assess on-farm catching of birds for transport to processing
facilities. Video will be audited and analyzed by Arrowsight for
adherence to humane treatment of animals, allowing immediate
follow-up if any concerns are identified.
In addition to video monitoring, Tyson Foods is also the first
in the industry to employ animal well-being specialists across all
its beef, pork and poultry operations. The company has trained and
deployed nearly 60 dedicated full-time animal well-being
specialists. This includes at least one at every processing
facility that handles live animals, to work collaboratively with
our Office of Animal Well-Being and our plants to ensure
best-in-class training and practices. Half of the specialists are
also involved in supporting animal well-being on the poultry farms
that supply the company.
The specialists have experience in either processing plant or
live chicken operations and will have continual training. They have
participated in animal welfare webinars and a week-long summit.
They are also taking a certification course through the
Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization
(PAACO).
Tyson Foods also will launch two pilot projects within the next
year to test a process called controlled atmosphere stunning.
Support of the use of gas as a more humane way to render the bird
unconscious before processing has increased over the past several
years among scientists, veterinarians and animal welfare advocates,
since it eliminates the handling of conscious birds. The company
will evaluate the results of the pilot program to determine if CAS
is a reasonable alternative to the existing method before it makes
decisions about deploying it at other facilities.
Tyson Foods is also piloting research into chicken house
lighting and enrichments for the birds (e.g. perches). In addition,
the company continues to work with its poultry breeding suppliers
on the important relationship between breeding and bird health. It
has also conducted work on enhanced poultry nutrition and
ventilation.
Tyson Foods will host a Facebook Live video session from a
chicken farm on Thursday, June 22, at 10 a.m. CT on its corporate
Facebook page. It will include a Tyson Foods animal well-being
specialist, Tyson Foods veterinarian and a poultry farmer and will
give viewers an opportunity to see first-hand how chickens are
raised.
Tyson Foods’ existing animal well-being initiatives, which
encompass its beef, pork and poultry operations, include the Tyson
FarmCheck® program. This program involves third-party animal
well-being audits of farms that supply the company, as well as an
external Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel that includes animal
welfare experts, livestock producers and a physician. The company
also operates CARE, which is a risk-based assessment program
created by the company that helps plants identify and audit animal
handling points. CARE also involves individual facility animal
well-being committees, required animal well-being training and
internal animal well-being audits by members of the plant
management staff. For more information on Tyson Foods’ commitment
to healthier animals, click here.
To access downloadable b-roll and still photos for this story,
click here.
About Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN),
with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world’s
largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy
Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®
and State Fair®. It’s a recognized market leader in chicken,
beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast
sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings,
tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice
customers throughout the United States and approximately 115
countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose
family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson,
guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson,
serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The
company currently has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed
at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and
around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team
Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with
integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its
shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives
to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as
stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
Contact: Worth Sparkman, 479-290-6358, worth.sparkman@tyson.com
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