Bon Appétit Management Co. said Tuesday that all of its more than 500 cafés in 32 states will serve only ground beef harvested from “contented cattle” by Sept. 1.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based chain said it is requiring its suppliers to comply with standards of one of four independent animal-welfare organizations.
In February, the company vowed to buy at least 25 percent of our beef, pork, and poultry from ranches and farms whose practices have been certified by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC)'s Certified Humane® program, Animal Welfare Approved, Food Alliance, or Global Animal Partnership by 2015.
In 2011 Bon Appétit bought 1.2 million pounds of ground beef and patties, of which 405,500 pounds already carried one of the four approved certifications.
(All of that supply was also “naturally raised,” which the company defines as product devoid of anitbitiotics or artificial hormones.)
Now with mandatory certification in place, an additional 800,000 pounds or more of burgers and meatloaf will come from humanely raised animals, the company said.
Twenty percent of all Bon Appétit's meat and poultry already comes from small or midsize producers, which must meet their guidelines for distance, annual revenues, ownership structure, and if considered midsize producers, also carry one of the four certifications.
Source: meatingplace
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