Dive Brief:
- Perdue has agreed to stop using labels on its Harvestland brand that claim the chickens in the product were "Humanely Raised."
- The chicken processor has faced two lawsuits alleging false advertising in connection with the claim. The Humane Society of the United States agreed to drop those suits in response to Perdue's move.
- Perdue denied that its labels were misleading or that the company mistreated animals.
Dive Insight:
At issue here is the definition of the word "humane." Perdue adhered to the standards set forth by the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group. Perdue did not adhere to standards set by third-part organizations such as Animal Welfare Approved or by retailers such as Whole Foods.
It's worth noting that the Council's standards are voluntary. And activists see those standards as not particularly effective. Or, as Temple Grandin, Ph.D, the nation's leading expert on animal handling and slaughter told Salon: "The National Chicken Council Animal Welfare audit has a scoring system that is so lax that it allows plants or farms with really bad practices to pass."