U.S. poultry producer Foster Farms under investigation for animal cruelty
by Amanda Lee Myers, The Associated Press
A video shot by a Los Angeles-based animal rights group shows chickens being treated violently
LOS ANGELES—Police are investigating poultry producer Foster Farms after an animal-rights group shot undercover video showing some chickens being slammed upside-down into shackles, punched and having their feathers pulled out while still alive.
The video was obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its June 17 release. It was shot by the Los Angeles-based Mercy for Animals, which advocates against eating meat. The group says the footage was taken between April and June at a Foster Farms slaughterhouse in Fresno and the company’s nearby farms.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the allegations.
Foster Farms spokesman Michael Fineman says the company has launched its own investigation and will fully co-operate with authorities. He says the behaviour in the video is inappropriate.
Indeed he would. Foster Farm’s website makes a big deal of it’s humane treatment of animals and “antibiotic stewardship.”
The website states: Raising animals humanely isn’t a new concept at Foster Farms. It’s been a part of our values since 1939. And it’s a value we share with you. That’s why we are proud to be certified by the American Humane Association – one of the nation’s leading animal welfare organizations that has been at the forefront in protecting farm animals since 1877.”
The Fresno location under investigation was acquired by Foster farms in 2001 from Southern California-based Zacky Farms. This acquisition included Zacky Farms Fresno-area plant, hatchery, feed mill, and live production ranches, as well as its Los Angeles distribution center.
With files from CanadianManufacturing.com
