Pork Producers Fight Animal Activists

A number of major food retailers and fast food chains, like WalMart and McDonalds have caved to the pressure from the Humane Society of the U.S. to no longer purchase pork produced with gestation crates. However, they’re finding it’s much harder than they thought to secure product because only five-percent of the pork industry can provide pork segregated by an alternative sow housing system.

National Pork Board Vice President Karen Richter says the pork industry is working with these companies to explain the true agenda of HSUS and other animal activist organizations – and that consumers aren’t actually worried about sow housing.

Richter says producers are being proactive through training, abiding by industry standards and participating in We Care and PQA Plus programs.

Animal activists made sow housing a ballot issue in many states this year. However, this is not the only animal care issue facing the pork industry.