SALISBURY, Md. — Perdue Farms Incorporated announced today that it is
introducing PERDUE fresh, all natural chicken products with the premier
third-party stamp of approval, the USDA Process Verified Seal, in North
Carolina. Perdue is the first and only chicken company to receive this seal of
verification for its practices and be allowed to make the claim on its product
packaging. Products carrying the seal include PERDUE fresh, all natural whole
chickens and bone-in parts as well as PERDUE FIT & EASY boneless, skinless
chicken products.
“In our pursuit to provide families the highest quality product, Perdue has made
a commitment to undergo the rigorous process to develop the USDA Process
Verified Programs,” says Jim Perdue, Chairman of Perdue. “We know that today,
Americans don’t just care about their own diet; they also care about the diet of
the foods they eat. The seal verifies our chickens are fed an all vegetarian
diet, with no animal by-products. It also verifies they are raised cage free and
humanely raised. All of this adds up to a tastier Perdue chicken.”
“We know that our consumers are looking for an added level of assurance in the
poultry products that they purchase,” Perdue adds. “The USDA is a trusted
resource for consumers and we believe the USDA Process Verified seal will make
it easier for consumers to choose chicken products they can feel good about
feeding their families. We’re proud to be the first and only chicken company to
provide this added level of assurance to our consumers.”
The USDA Process Verified Seal indicates that USDA has audited the company’s
processes behind claims made on the product’s packaging. “We are pleased to
allow Perdue to use the USDA Process Verified Program Seal in recognition of
their adherence to their vegetarian diet and humanely raised process points,”
says Charles Johnson, Poultry Programs Grading Branch Chief of USDA’s
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). “AMS has reviewed and audited Perdue’s
production processes and determined that they comply with the requirements of
the USDA Process Verified Program and the criteria outlined in their approved
quality management systems.”
Products carrying the Humanely Raised claim are verified to come from birds
raised in accordance with the Perdue Farms Poultry Welfare Program, which
ensures humane treatment of chickens from hatching through processing. The
program is based on the poultry welfare guidelines of the National Chicken
Council and Perdue’s own best practices to create scientifically sound,
industry-leading standards for the humane treatment of poultry. Perdue is the
only chicken company with third-party audits by the USDA to verify a humanely
raised claim.
Perdue Hosts Online Video Contest to Win Year’s Worth of Chicken
To celebrate this important recognition, Perdue is launching an online search in
North Carolina for the best ways to cook and prepare chicken. Users are asked to
submit a video demonstrating their best recipe or techniques for preparing or
serving chicken at www.PerdueVerifiablyGood.com. The finalists will be selected
by a panel of North Carolina food experts, including Priscilla Tsai, Eat My
Charlotte blog; Andrea Weigl, food writer for the Raleigh News and Observer;
Lisa Prince, N.C. Department of Agriculture and co-host of WRAL’s Got to Be Good
Cookin’; and Jenn Snyder, founder of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club. The winner
will be declared Verifiably Good! and will receive a cash prize and coupons for
a year’s worth of Perdue chicken products. For full details, including Official
Rules, visit www.verifiablygood.com.*
The site will also help clarify consumer confusion surrounding the proliferation
of label claims on the market today. Visitors to www.PerdueVerifiablyGood.com
will be able to learn about USDA process verification, take a labeling quiz and
enter the Perdue Verifiably Good! Video contest.
About Perdue Process Verified Products
Perdue products with the USDA Process Verified Seal can be purchased at the
following North Carolina retailers: Bloom, BJs, Harris-Teeter, Food Lion and
Lowe’s. The seal can be found on Perdue fresh, all natural whole chickens and
bone-in parts, which include split breasts, drums, wings and thighs. It can also
be found on Perdue Fit & Easy products, which include boneless, skinless
breasts, thin-sliced chicken breast, chicken tenders and boneless, skinless
thigh fillets.
PERDUE is the #1 brand of fresh chicken in the Eastern United States. Ranked
third in sales in the poultry industry, Perdue Incorporated is a leading
international food and agriculture business providing quality products and
services to customers in more than 70 countries. Privately held and family-run
for three generations, the company employs more than 21,000 associates and
partners with 2,200 independent farm families — all who share in the commitment
to quality, service and reliability that has guided the company since its
founding in 1920. For more information, visit
www.perdue.com
*Contest void where prohibited and outside the state of North Carolina. Entry
open only to legal NC residents who are at least 18 years old as of 2/15/10.
Starts 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 2/15/10; all entries must be submitted
by 11:59pm ET on 3/12/10. For Official Rules, go to www.verifiablygood.com.
Grand Prize (1): $500 cash plus fifty-two (52) $10 coupons for PERDUE products;
total ARV of Grand prize: $1,020. Sponsored by Perdue Farms, Incorporated;
administered by Fleishman-Hillard New York.
Source:
Perdue Farms Incorporated