HERNDON, Va. -- Just in time for Thanksgiving, Humane Farm Animal Care has authorized Alison's Family Farms, Marshville, N.C., to use "Certified Humane" labels on its fresh and smoked turkeys.
rkeys.
"We were already following humane raising standards," said Angela Pitre of Alison's Family Farms. "Getting certified was a natural thing for us to do. We want to increase consumer awareness about how animals are raised."
Since HFAC unveiled the program in May 2003, 37 companies have qualified for certification. The "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC's precise standards for humane farm animal treatment.
Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and enough space to support natural behavior. Murray's Chicken, Nature's Premier Organic Chicken and Pop's Farm Poultry (Canada) also earned the certification.
