Agricultural News
Smithfield Counters HSUS by Hiring Temple Grandin to Review Their Video and Recommend Changes to Conditions Seen in Video
Thu, 16 Dec 2010 3:35:46 CST
The Humane Society of the United States is calling on pork producer Smithfield Foods to make good on its pledge to end the practice of breeding pigs in gestation crates.
At a news conference on Wednesday, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle unveiled results of an undercover investigation it conducted last month at a Smithfield sow farm in Waverly, Va., in which a member of the animal welfare group documented the condition of sows while employed as a worker at the facility for 30 days.
HSUS posted a four-minute videotape of its findings on its web site that shows the sows in two- by seven-foot crates, some with bleeding gums from biting on the bars and other abrasions. The facility is run by Smithfield's Murphy-Brown livestock production subsidiary.
In a statement, Smithfield says its number one priority is care and safety of its hogs and its employees. The company has hired renowned animal welfare expert Temple Grandin to review the events depicted in the video and recommend changes to its animal well-being procedures.
We have an audio report of the latest charges by the animal activist group- Stewart Doan anchors the report for us and you can hear it by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
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