VeriPrime to Document Animal Welfare 'Best Practices'

2/16/2004

From: John Lawrence, PhD, of VeriPrime Inc., 903-856-7619, 903-767-0616 (mobile) or jlawrence@veriprime.com

WICHITA, Kansas, Feb. 16 -- Fast food chains, restaurants and grocery stores committed to high standards of humane treatment and handling of animals can now assure consumers that best practice guidelines recommended by leading meat industry groups are being followed. The system was developed by member- owned and directed VeriPrime, Inc. of Wichita, Kansas.

Effective March 1, VeriPrime member-feedyards (representing over two-thirds of the U.S. fed cattle supply), pork producers and packers will implement the training and assessments necessary to verify these best practices. Facility and handling audits will be used to monitor performance, to assess the effectiveness of training and to certify compliance.

Dr. Temple Grandin, the Colorado State University associate professor credited with developing scoring systems for handling cattle and pigs, commented, "I am encouraged by this effort. I like to see measured scores when handling cattle because it allows the industry to track progress. You manage what you measure. My hope is this is fully implemented and sees widespread adoption. We have seen good results in other areas applying techniques like this."

The best practices are gleaned from VeriPrime's meat industry members -- including leading livestock producers, processors and retailers across the United States -- as well as VeriPrime's own research. The program was completed when VeriPrime selected the Quality Analysis and Critical Control Point (QACCP) program developed by Ft. Dodge Animal Health Products to provide tools needed to make the new animal handling measures verifiable and credible.

"Many retailers have asked for documented assurance that their suppliers are meeting the highest standards for animal handling," said Dr. Scott Crain, the Kansas veterinarian who serves as VeriPrime CEO.

VeriPrime's program will be detailed when Dr. Crain addresses attendees at the American Meat Institute's Animal Care and Handling Conference February 19 in Kansas City, MO. The presentation will explain how producers, processors, and retailers benefit as participants in this industry-wide food safety system and certification program.

The new system is based on beef and pork quality assurance programs already established by prominent industry trade associations. It adds to these excellent recommendations in several important ways. Participation in the VeriPrime program will include nationwide documentation and the ability to measure individual producer compliance. Rather than rely on sampling techniques to predict the system's effectiveness, animal handling evaluations by internal and external audits will be used to demonstrate that standards have been maintained.

Tom Noffsinger, DVM, of Binkleman, Nebraska, a feedyard health and performance consultant, specializing in interaction between caretakers and cattle, comments "This demonstrates the readiness of cattle owners and handlers to safeguard the well-being of their animals, and now extends to retail food distributors the opportunity to support these initiatives."

The same thing is occurring in the pork industry with VeriPrime pork producer and packer members. "Their commitment to these new best practices is strong," says Dave Farnum, DVM, vice president of eHARVEST and a partner in VeriPrime Pork. "Through VeriPrime Pork, eHARVEST can help current and future clients define and implement animal welfare assurances using our tracking and record keeping capabilities."

Janice Swanson, Kansas State University professor and a noted authority on agricultural animal production and its relationship to public concern for animal welfare, was pleased to learn of the industry program. "It is important to consumers and the public to know that beef is produced under conditions that provide cattle with a decent quality of life," she said. Swanson, who is a member of the Food Marketing Institute/National Council of Chain Restaurants Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, added, "The application of internal and external audits to monitor best practice is commendable and I look forward to seeing the results of this cooperative venture."

"Beef and pork quality assurance programs are tremendous industry assets," said Dr. Crain. "Our members want to continue progress already made by the industry, and this animal welfare documentation program will give them the tools to accomplish that."

VeriPrime, Inc. ( http://www.veriprime.com ) serves as a general contractor for its members, securing the technologies and services they need to provide production and safety assurances. Moreover, VeriPrime provides the mechanism by which participants in the food supply chain can collectively establish and implement best practices across the supply chain to meet government and consumer mandates. Services include information systems, foodborne illness intervention, BSE (mad cow) risk mitigation, enhanced animal welfare standards and the right for licensees to use the VeriPrime service mark to market their products.