USA, June 28, 2002: The supermarket and fast-food industries unveiled their first comprehensive guidelines for the humane treatment of farm animals, recommending that farmers curtail such practices as starving hens to make them lay more eggs, housing pregnant pigs in crates so small they cannot fully lie down and slaughtering some animals before they are fully unconscious. The guidelines are voluntary and in some areas remain vague and contested by farm groups. But they mark a new recognition that farm animal welfare is a growing concern to many American consumers. “This is the first time that the retail industry has clearly said the issue of farm animal welfare is important to it, and that it wants to make sure these issues get serious attention,” said Karen Brown, senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute, which represents most of the nation’s supermarket owners. The recommendations were endorsed by seven leading animal welfare specialists who had been brought in by the trade associations to review the guidelines used by the pork, egg, chicken, dairy and beef industries for the treatment of farm animals. “It is historic that the entire grocery and chain restaurant industries have agreed that there are practices that are standard in the meat industry, yet clearly abusive of animals,” said Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) director of vegan outreach. He said that the country needs animal welfare legislation, like some of the stringent laws enacted in Europe, but that the food industry is resisting strenuously.
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