As of September 2016, 100% of Niman Ranch’s proteins- Pork, Beef and Lamb, and our Processed Products, will be Certified Humane®.
The Certified Humane® certification program is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC). HFAC is a leading non-profit certifier of the highest farm animal welfare standards. We will be the largest multi-protein company certified in the United States by Certified Humane.
“Niman Ranch shares our commitment to raising farm animals under strict humane standards,” says Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC. “Whether they’re raising hogs, cattle, or lamb, all of their animals across all of their farms will be raised under our Humane Farm Animal Care Animal Care Standards.”
What does this mean?
Our farms, ranches, harvest facilities, processing locations and co-packers have been audited by the Certified Humane® Auditors to meet the Humane Farm Animal Care Animal Care Standards. It was easy for our farmers to meet the HFAC standards since our standards were developed with the same strict oversight by Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is a member of HFAC’s scientific committee.
We will still have more field agents working directly with our farmers than sales people. We will still have dedicated staff who review our protocols and conduct audits of our farms, ranches and harvest facilities. HFCA auditors are experts in the species they audit, as they are animal scientists with master’s degrees or PhD’s.
Who is Certified Humane:
Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) is an international non-profit certification organization dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices.
When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label, you can be assured that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise, objective standards for farm animal treatment. You can find Certified Humane® products in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru and the U.S.
The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label assures consumers:
- That the producer meets their standards and applies them to animals from birth through slaughter.
- No cages, no crates, no tie stalls. Animals must be free to do what comes naturally.
- A diet of quality feed without animal by- products, antibiotics or growth hormones.
- Producers must comply with food safety and environmental regulations. Processors must comply with the American Meat Institute Standards (AMI), a slaughter standard written by Dr. Temple Grandin, a member of the HFAC Scientific Committee.
Animal Care Standards were created by a highly respected scientific committee:
The 40 member Scientific Committee is comprised of animal scientists and veterinarians from Canada, Europe, South America and the U.S. The standards are upheld through annual inspections conducted by scientists and veterinarians who are experts on the species they are inspecting. There are independent inspections of all farms, ranches and slaughter facilities.
Source: Niman Ranch