Stakeholders tour Perdue's research farm; panelists and presenters share research and advancements in raising healthier poultry at scale
SALISBURY, Md., Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Perdue Farms hosted its seventh annual Animal Care Summit near its Maryland headquarters this year, after two years of hosting the annual event virtually 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 second century of business, we at Perdue Farms 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 Premium Poultry and Meats. "Animal husbandry and stewardship, including strong connections to our farmers and transparency with our stakeholders, keep our animals healthier and we believe translate to a better product for consumers."
During the 2022 event, attendees, including NGOs, farmers, customers, academia, and Perdue associates, toured the company's dedicated research farm to see first-hand progress from ongoing animal husbandry studies including:
In addition to the four topics showcased on the research farm, Perdue's Senior Vice President of Technical Services and Innovation, Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, provided updates to existing animal husbandry initiatives, including:
Perdue gathered members of the Better Chicken Commitment Working Group for a discussion panel focused on how organizations are working across the multi-stakeholder group to advance standards for raising broiler chickens.
As consumers increasingly desire to know more about how the food they eat is grown and made, another panel of experts discussed the importance of transparency in consumer communications, which is a core tenant of Perdue's approach to animal husbandry.
Additionally, subject-matter experts shared modern research related to how animal welfare and diet can translate to consumer benefits, including improved product flavor and nutrition, as well as how modern measurement of animal welfare practices can improve the implementation of learnings.
Coinciding with the annual summit, the company published its 2022 Commitments to Animal Care Report. Perdue's Animal Care program now includes nearly 90 initiatives within the company's four-part plan to accelerate its progress in poultry care. Established in 2016, the four-part plan includes:
To view the full report, go to www.perdueanimalcare.com.
We're a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.
Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.
Now in our company's second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.
SOURCE Perdue Farms