Cargill adds remote video auditing at slaughter plants

Cargill adds remote video auditing at slaughter plants
 
By Tom Johnston on 3/30/2009
 

Cargill
said Monday it has begun implementing a third-party video auditing
program to bolster the company’s animal welfare protection systems and
will have the program in place at all of its U.S. beef slaughter plants
by the end of 2009.

In addition to implementing the remote video auditing service,
Cargill created its own humane animal-handling training and
certification program for employees.

“Cargill has adopted some of the most rigorous animal care
guidelines in the industry,” said Cargill Beef President John Keating.
“This additional investment gives us the objective input we need to
effectively train our people and improve our processes.”

“Cargill has been a strong industry leader in the area of animal
handling for many years,” said animal welfare expert Temple Grandin.
“[The system] follows the American Meat Institute’s animal welfare
audit system, compiles the data and sends it to the plants for their
use to continually help improve their animal welfare programs.”