Marlys Miller, Editor, Pork Magazine   |   Updated: February 13, 2012

McDonald's Corp. has announced that it will develop a plan to transition its pork supply away from farmers who use conventional gestation-sow stalls.  Both the National Pork Board (NPB) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) offered a response.

NPB officials stated that they understand that food companies, such as McDonald's, make decisions in the best interests of their businesses.

“At the same time, NPB maintains the position, supported by the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), that there are numerous ways, including sow gestation stalls, to provide proper care for sows,” NPB said in a statement. “Each housing system, including gestation stalls, open pens, free-access stalls and pastures, has welfare advantages and disadvantages that must be considered by an individual farmer. Regardless of the type of system used, what really matters is the individual care given to each pig - a mainstay of our industry's Pork Quality Assurance Plus program.”

NPB cited a peer-reviewed research evaluation that it has conducted regarding animal care and food safety that it will share with McDonald's as it prepares for its May evaluations of its pork suppliers’ proposals to address gestation-sow housing.

NPPC officials said they, too, stand ready to offer its assistance to McDonald’s as it assesses sow housing. NPPC echoed NPB in pointing to AVMA’s position on sow housing, “that both individual sow housing and group housing can provide for the well-being of sows.”

“Perhaps most importantly, today’s announcement reflects the best process for meeting evolving consumer demands – through the market, not through government mandates,” NPPC’s statement said. This refers to legislation presented in the U.S. House to establish federal housing and other guidelines for egg-laying hens. The measure is supported by the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States.

“Pork industry customers have expressed a desire to see changes in how pigs are raised. Farmers are responding and modifying their practices accordingly. That process is effective; it is efficient and doesn’t require an act of Congress,” NPPC stated.

“The pork industry supports a free market; it opposes legislative mandates on farmers pushed by special interest groups. Farmers are some of the most innovative and resourceful people in our country. They will continue to meet the ever-changing needs of customers and provide consumers with safe, nutritious and affordable food produced responsibly,” NPPC said.  

 

 

 

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