Perdue Farms says HSUS lawsuit is without merit

A class action lawsuit filed in Florida by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that alleges Perdue Farms is falsely marketing chicken products as "Humanely Raised" is without merit, Perdue Farms says. The animal welfare organization previously filed a similar class action lawsuit in New Jersey.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Florida consumers who purchased Perdue Farms' Havestland chicken, alleges that Perdue is deceptively marketing the chicken products as "humanely raised," but HSUS claims the chickens are subject to inhumane treatment.
"HSUS falsely asserts that there is no difference between Perdue's welfare program and industry standards. The Harvestland/Perdue Poultry Welfare Program exceeds the National Chicken Council guidelines in several areas, including the additional steps of monitoring air quality in the poultry house, video monitoring of live-bird handling areas at the processing plant and USDA audits of producer farms and our hatcheries," the company said in a statement.
"Contrary to the image HSUS attempts to portray, all of our chickens are raised under a strict USDA Process Verified Program that ensures adherence to our Poultry Welfare Program from hatchery to processing. This includes numerous, documented checks and audits at every step in the process. All of our chickens are raised cage-free on family farms. They live in temperature-controlled housing with fresh-air ventilation, where they are protected from disease, predators and the elements. They have constant access to food and water, room to move about and exhibit natural behaviors, and cycles of light and dark to ensure resting periods.
"Chickens are transported from the farm to the plant in coops specially designed to protect them from injury and weather extremes. Upon arrival at the plant, they are protected in covered sheds, and fans and misters ensure bird comfort during hot weather. Travel times and waiting times at the plant are limited by our Poultry Welfare Program and are carefully monitored and adjusted for temperature and weather conditions as part of the Humanely Raised Process Verified Program.
"As part of the USDA inspection process at each of our plants, USDA inspectors also observe areas of the plant where live birds are handled to ensure 'humane treatment' of all animals. Through the USDA Process Verified Program, we go the extra step of inviting the USDA to inspect our hatcheries and farms where our birds are raised, to provide assurance that we are following our Poultry Welfare Program."

JBS earns stable outlook from Fitch Ratings

Meat and poultry processor JBS SA has received a stable BB rating from Fitch Ratings. Following the June 10 acquisition of South American poultry and pork processor Seara Brasil, Fitch Ratings placed JBS in a rating watch and has since confirmed JBS has a stable outlook.
"JBS's credit ratings are supported by a strong business profile. The company is the world's largest beef and leather producer. With the acquisition of Seara Brasil, JBS has become the second largest processed meats producer in Brazil. The company's product and geographic diversification help to mitigate risks related to disease and trade restrictions," said Johnny da Silva, director of Fitch Ratings.

Arkansas poultry no longer banned in Japan

Japan has ended its ban on the import of poultry from Arkansas. In late June, Japan banned the import of poultry from Arkansas, after a poultry farm in Boles, Ark., had chickens showing antibodies consistent with H7N7 avian influenza.
About 9,000 chickens were destroyed, the farm was disinfected and poultry within a 6.2-mile radius of the farm was quarantined. The area has since been declared free of avian influenza.
Similar bans on Arkansas poultry were enacted by Russia and China. Russia ended its ban in September, but China's ban on Arkansas poultry is still in place.

Salmonella prevalence on chicken decreases 34 percent, FSIS reports

The prevalence of Salmonella on raw young chicken carcasses is down 34 percent over the first quarter of 2013 and represents a decrease of over 120 percent during the past five years, according to the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) "Quarterly Progress Reports on Salmonella and Campylobacter Testing of Selected Raw Meat and Poultry Products" released on October 25.
This report contained testing information from April 1 through June 30. Specifically for young chicken carcasses, 2,955 samples were collected and analyzed with a positive rate of only 2.6 percent for Salmonella - a fraction of the USDA FSIS performance standard of 7.5 percent for young chicken carcasses. The same samples were also analyzed for Campylobacter and while the percent positive remained unchanged from the first quarter of 2013, it represents a decrease of almost 50 percent since FSIS began testing for Campylobacter on post-chill young chicken carcasses in 2011.
The number of establishments in Category 1, or those establishments performing better than half of the performance standard for Salmonella, was up from the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2013, 70.1 percent of young chicken establishments were in Category 1 compared with 67.6 percent during the first quarter of 2013. Additionally, the number of establishments in Category 3 has dropped by almost 35 percent indicating an improvement in performance at those establishments.
"Overall, the results presented in this quarterly report indicate that we continue to make improvements in the incidence rate of Salmonella and Campylobacter on young chicken carcasses," said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., National Chicken Council vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. "Establishments continue to demonstrate progress which is evident by the increased number of establishments in Category 1 and the decreased number of establishments in Category 3."
FSIS performance standards must be met or exceeded by chicken processors. For young chicken carcasses just after they are removed from the chiller, the performance standard is 7.5 percent for Salmonella and 10.4 percent for Campylobacter. These samples are taken both by FSIS for verification and the plant itself prior to the carcasses being cut up, deboned or packaged whole. Though there is currently no performance standard for chicken parts, FSIS completed baseline testing in the spring of 2013 and is expected to publish a new standard for chicken parts in 2014.

Register for free webinar: 'Coccidiosis Vaccination: A New Approach to Salmonella Control'

The free webinar, "Coccidiosis Vaccination: A New Approach to Salmonella Control," will be presented Thursday, December 19.

Register for the free webinar, Coccidiosis Vaccination: A New Approach to Salmonella Control, which will be held Thursday, December 19 at 9 a.m. CT.
A sound coccidiosis vaccination program helps develop an early solid immunity to the intestinal parasite Eimeria. The importance of good intestinal health is important in reducing Salmonella colonization and shedding in the chicken house.
What you'll learn:
-The basics needed for a good vaccination program.
-The relationship between intestinal health and Salmonella
-How to develop a good coccidiosis and Salmonella control program
The speakers for this webinar are Dr. Charles L. Hofacre, director clinical services, Poultry Diagnostic Research Center; and Dr. Greg Mathis, Southern Poultry Research Inc.
This webinar is sponsored by Merck Animal Health and presented by WATT Global Media.

Consumers more alert to how food is raised, ex-ag secretary says

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman said consumers are paying more attention to how their food is raised than they did during his tenure as secretary during the 1990s.

The days of people caring little about how and where their food is raised are over, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman said. Now, there is an expectation that meat, poultry and plants must be raised in a humane and sustainable way.
Glickman, who served as agriculture secretary for most of the Bill Clinton presidency, was one of six former U.S. agriculture secretaries to speak at Kansas State University on October 21. He was joined by John Block, Mike Espy, Ann Veneman, Mike Johanns and Ed Schafer.
"Food and agriculture are hot topics now. They're high up on the agenda. They're no longer viewed as kind of second-class issues," said Glickman.
In order to meet the demands of a growing world population and growing wealth in many nations, Glickman said, producers and processors must double food production. Yet all of that must be done while being good stewards of natural resources. Because of that, many more eyes are open to agriculture.
"People are concerned about agriculture issues as they relate to global food securities issues, they are concerned about them as they relate to stability of the world, and they are concerned about them because of pricing and inflation," said Glickman.
Agriculture is also more relevant, as it has become a driver in the U.S. and world economy. While Glickman cautioned that financial times in agriculture may not always be great, the industry has recovered well as commodity prices have improved. "The era of agriculture being the weak sister in American economics is over," Glickman said.

European Commission authorizes CloSTAT for use in turkeys

In the Standing Committee for Animal Nutrition meeting in July, the European Commission voted to authorize the use of Kemin Industries' Bacillus subtilis PB6, CloSTAT, in turkeys for fattening; extending its existing approval for use in chickens for fattening, minor poultry species and piglets.
CloSTAT contains a proprietary strain of Bacillus subtilis PB6 that was isolated and selected by Kemin scientists from the intestine of healthy chickens that naturally coped with pathogenic strains of Clostridium spp. during a necrotic enteritis outbreak. After its continuous use as a preventative application in the field, it has consistently proven that CloSTAT can support intestinal health in poultry and livestock, improving welfare farm status as well as reducing mortalities and medication costs.
CloSTAT supports intestinal health by maintaining a natural microflora balance, regardless of the animal species affected. The active ingredient, Bacillus subtilis PB6, is a naturally spore-forming bacteria that offers interesting advantages for long-term storage without refrigeration or need for encapsulation, as it is heat stable for feed pelleting processes. CloSTAT is compatible with most standard coccidiostats used in the European Union, as well as organic acids when used via water application.
It is well known that intestinal integrity and microbial balance in commercial poultry and livestock are important factors that can determine an animal's capacity to reach its full genetic potential for growth and yield. In turkeys, just as in broilers, Clostridium spp. can cause diarrhea, poor nutrient assimilation, wet litter and long-term leg problems resulting in flock impairment with low zootechnical parameters.
Testimonials from producers and veterinarians across the world indicate that CloSTAT works effectively to maintain a balanced gastrointestinal tract, reducing intestinal Clostridial disorders while supporting the responsible use of antibiotics.
In view of current animal production challenges, CloSTAT is a true natural preventive solution to be considered by the turkey industry.