Supermarket Perimeter - June 2020 - 40

Meat & Poultry: Chicken

Perdue expands free-range offerings

this year, free-range practices harken back to when Arthur and Pearl
Perdue raised chickens literally in the backyard of their now-iconic
farmhouse," said Gudjon Olafsson, vice president of marketing at
Perdue Farms. "Nearly half of all consumers would like the meat
department of their grocery stores to carry more free-range items*.
We're answering that call by signiﬁcantly expanding the free-range
offerings under our popular PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® brand - the ﬁrst
coast-to-coast offering of its kind - and available nationally in grocery
stores, supercenters, and online."
As part of Perdue Farms' commitment to transparency, the company
is adding a QR code to all PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® products that,
when scanned, will tell the story of the family farms and farmers who
contributed to growing the food in each package.
"Consumers increasingly desire more transparency behind where
their food comes from, which includes the people and processes behind
their food," added Olafsson. "We couldn't do what we do without the
dedication of our farm families, and we're proud to highlight their efforts
and individual stories in connection to the food they help produce."

As we celebrate our
100th anniversary this year,
free-range practices harken
back to when Arthur and
Pearl Perdue raised chickens
literally in the backyard of
their now-iconic farmhouse."
Gudjon Olafsson, Perdue Farms

PERDUE FARMS

As part of the company's ongoing commitments to animal care,
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms is leading the industry in raising
chickens with outdoor access and has recently expanded its free-range
product offerings under its PERDUE HARVESTLAND® label.
Building on the company's leadership as the number-one producer
of organic chicken in the country, Perdue achieved its goal to provide
outdoor access in 25% of its chicken houses by January 2020. Reaching
this latest milestone in the company's animal care journey secures
Perdue as the total leader in raising chickens with outdoor access.
"We are constantly addressing not only the needs of our chickens, but
also their wants. This includes providing them with the freedom and
environment to express normal behavior," said Bruce Stewart-Brown,
DVM, diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians and
senior vice president of live production and technology innovation for
Perdue Farms. "In our experience, encouraging natural activity for our
chickens is a component to maintaining their overall health. We believe
there is a correlation between chickens raised with outdoor access and
producing a better chicken for the consumer."
Perdue family farmers converted nearly 700 chicken houses from
conventional growing operations to meet free-range standards,
including adding windows, environmental enrichments, and safe
outdoor access - the vast majority of which the company subsidized.
"Perdue is leading the way among the top poultry producers when it
comes to raising the bar on the treatment of chickens," said Josh Balk,
vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the
United States. "Nearly 200 food companies - from fast food to family
dining to foodservice - have committed to exclusively sourcing chicken
meat from farms that meet higher welfare standards. Perdue is doing
the right thing while gaining a competitive advantage. In the meantime,
other major producers aren't making improvements and are even
resisting progress. They'll lose out in the marketplace as Perdue meets
the demand for a better way of farming."
"Reaching this goal is an important milestone in our animal care
journey and for our company. As we celebrate our 100th anniversary

40 - JUNE 2020

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Supermarket Perimeter - June 2020

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