Country-of-origin labeling became mandatory for the seafood industry this year.
Retailers and meat and poultry suppliers tapped into consumer interest in animal welfare with an unprecedented number of so-called humane products hitting the fresh-food departments.
Heinen's, a 16-unit chain based in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, made its Heinen's Own private-label beef its only beef offering and exclusively sources it from a producer certified by Humane Farm Animal Care, Herndon, Va., a non-profit agency. The chain also rolled out private-label chicken, also from a humane-certified supplier.
HFAC launched its humane-certified program in 2003 and now 40 companies producing a variety of foods qualify for the certification.
Several conventional chains, including Gristede's, New York, and Food Town, Middletown, N.J. introduced chicken and beef products billed as "humane-certified."
And while it may not be surprising to hear Wild Oats Markets contracted with animal behavior expert Temple Grandin to advise its suppliers on humane care, McDonald's is doing the same. That's surely a sign of the times.
