Tyson Foods Creates Panel Focusing on Animal Well-Being

Springdale-based poultry company Tyson Foods Inc. announced Thursday it has formed an independent advisory panel to oversee the company’s FarmCheck program, designed to ensure responsible care and well-being of farm animals raised for food.

Each panel member is a leader in his or her field, according to a Tyson Foods news release, and was invited because of their interests across a broad range of issues related to raising farm animals responsibly.

Panel members will help to determine research priorities and suggest ways to improve the program. Their participation is not a public endorsement of the FarmCheck program, Tyson Foods or any specific animal well-being program.

Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest producers of chicken, beef and pork, created the FarmCheck program in October to audit the more than 11,000 independent livestock and poultry farmers that supply the company.

Independent, third-party auditors visit these farms to check on such things as animal access to food and water, as well as proper human-animal interaction and worker training.

Development of the audits has involved experienced veterinarians and animal welfare experts and includes measures that build upon current voluntary farm industry programs.

Tyson Foods, the country’s largest chicken producer, plan to expand the program to include chicken and cattle farms by early 2014.

Members of the panel include:

• Ryan Best, 2011-2012 president, Future Farmers of America
• Anne Burkholder, cattle feedlot owner
• Ed Cooney, executive director of the Congressional Hunger Center
• Gail Golab, Ph.D., DVM, director of American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Division
• Temple Grandin, Ph.D., professor of animal science, Colorado State University
• Karl Guggenmos, dean of culinary education, Johnson & Wales University
• Tim Loula, DVM, co-founder and co-owner of Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minnesota
• Miyun Park, executive director, Global Animal Partnership
• Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, National Chicken Council
• Richard Raymond, M.D., former U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Food Safety
• Janeen Salak-Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor in Animal Sciences, University of Illinois
• Janice Swanson, Ph.D., chair and professor, Animal Behavior and Welfare, Michigan State University
• Bruce Webster, Ph.D., professor of poultry science, University of Georgia