Is Perdue Duping Customers With "Humane" Labels?

by Tara Lohan · 2010-05-20 07:30:00 UTC
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When navigating the endless maze of packaging at the grocery store, it can be hard to know which labels to trust. Perdue doesn't seem to be helping much in this regard. The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is calling out the company for misleading consumers by labeling their chicken 'Humanely Raised' and 'Raised Cage-Free.'

AWI contests that the 'humane' standards, which are set by the National Chicken Council (NCC), an industry group, are deceptive. Under NCC guidelines, chickens that are 'humanely raised' can be kept in a windowless building without sunlight or fresh air with fewer than one square foot of space allotted for each bird. So no space, no outdoors, no fresh oxygen—yeah, sounds really "humane."

AWI, on the other hand, has a rigorous set of criteria for what they deem humane. The organization is understandable appalled by NCC's and Perdue's standards. "The chickens are exposed to up to 20 continuous hours of dim, artificial light to further an unhealthy rate of growth," said AWI President Cathy Liss. "They are bred for rapid growth that allows the birds to be slaughtered earlier but which results in health problems like lameness, heart attack, and even sudden death."

And the "Raised Cage-Free" label is also misleading because, according to AWI, no chickens raised for meat are ever kept in cages, which many unsuspecting consumers may not know. So in actuality, consumers aren't getting a product that is any better than its competitors. "Truth in labeling is critical so that consumers who want their grocery dollars to promote humane farming are actually supporting farmers who raise their animals under high welfare conditions," said Dena Jones, AWI farm animal program manager.

If you've seen the film Food Inc., then you've witnessed the inside of a "farm" that raises chickens for Perdue. The scene is nothing short of horrifying. The farmer featured in that segment, Carole Morison, who subsequently had her contract canceled by Perdue, is now an outspoken critic of the commercial chicken industry. If only Morison could have words with anyone still considering buying chicken from Perdue!

Photo credit: Martin Kingsley

Tara Lohan is a senior editor at AlterNet.org where she heads up the environment, water, and food sections. Her work has appeared on the websites of The Nation, Mother Jones, the Huffington Post and in Yes! Magazine.

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