Ensuring livestock welfare from farm to plant is ethically appropriate, good for animals and good for business.  Calm animals create safer workplaces and higher quality products. 

Federal meat plants are subject to the Humane Slaughter Act, a law that is enforced continuously by federal inspectors who must be on-site at plants at all times.  No other industry has the level of continuous federal oversight that is simply “the norm” in the meat industry.  If a plant is out of compliance with humane slaughter rules, federal inspectors can take a host of actions including stopping production or withdrawing inspectors, which closes a plant. 

The meat industry has a documented record of not just meeting, but exceeding federal rules.  Guidelines developed with leading experts in the field of animal welfare, like Temple Grandin, Ph.D., associate professor of animal behavior at Colorado State, help the industry go beyond regulatory targets. 

Data collected by Grandin show that the meat industry has improved its performance in its animal handling practices continuously since the mid 1990s.

Helpful Links:

Swine Welfare Throughout the Production Chain

Cattle Welfare Throughout the Production Chain

Farm to Table Audit Guide