WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, March 30, 2016 —
American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization and creator of the first and largest third-party farm animal welfare certification program, announced today that Kreider Farms has met its rigorous farm animal welfare standards and achieved certification through the American Humane Certified™ program. Pennsylvania-based Kreider Farms produces cage-free eggs that are sold under the Noah’s Pride brand.
“Since 1877 American Humane has been an advocate for the humane treatment of children, pets, and farm animals,” said Byron Shaffer, Food Safety and Quality Manager at Kreider Farms. “Kreider Farms acknowledges their contribution and commitment to the humane movement. We are proud to receive the American Humane’s certification of our cage-free layer flocks.”
American Humane’s most recent survey shows overwhelming popular support for the humane treatment of farm animals. Its Humane Heartland™ Farm Animal Survey polled 5,900 Americans and more than nine in ten (94.9%) said they are “very concerned” about farm animal welfare, up from 89 percent in American Humane’s 2013 study. More than three-quarters (75.7%) stated that they are very willing to pay more for humanely raised eggs, meat, and dairy products, up from 74 percent in 2013.
“We certify a significant percentage of the cage-free egg producers in North America,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane’s president and CEO. “It is a growing segment in egg production with major national food service providers and retailers announcing their intention to be fully cage-free in their supply chain within the next 10 years. We commend Kreider Farms for making the humane choice and achieving certification through our American Humane Certified program.”
American Humane was founded around the issue of farm animal welfare in 1877 and has been at the forefront of improvements and protections for children, pets and farm animals for 139 years (see historic timeline). In 2000 American Humane created the nation’s first third-party farm animal welfare certification and auditing program with species-specific science-based standards covering everything from adequate space to air quality, heat and lighting, humane treatment, and the ability for animals to be animals and express the natural behaviors of their kind. These standards for the resulting American Humane Certified program were built upon the internationally accepted values of the Five Freedoms, adopted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as input from animal science experts, veterinarians and other animal husbandry specialists. These evidence-based standards are reviewed regularly by an independent Scientific Advisory Committee made up of some of the world’s leading experts and animal advocates.
More information about the American Humane Certified program can be found at www.humaneheartland.org. Information about Kreider Farms may be found at www.kreiderfarms.com.
