Tyson Foods announced that it is the first company to receive audit certification for all poultry across its supply chain after its FarmCheck Animal Welfare Program completed the certification of company-wide poultry audits from the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).

PAACO recently certified FarmCheck audits for both breeders and turkeys, bringing the company’s total certified poultry audits to three, following broiler chicken certification by PAACO in 2019.

The FarmCheck program is a third-party animal welfare auditing program that ensures that livestock and poultry suppliers for Tyson Foods are evaluated and monitored for important animal welfare criteria, including housing and environment, proper human/animal interaction, transportation and harvest processes.

“We are extremely pleased to announce that Tyson Foods has certified three of their audits through the rigorous process that PAACO offers,” Collette Kaster, executive director of PAACO, said. “The company’s vision to go above and beyond in the area of animal welfare is impressive, and the leadership of their team is evident in programs like FarmCheck.”

Dr. Karen Christensen, senior director of animal welfare at Tyson Foods, said, “The certification of all our FarmCheck poultry audits is an important part of our approach to welfare, and becoming the first company to receive audit certification across the poultry supply chain demonstrates our efforts to continuously improve welfare for the animals entrusted to our care. We appreciate the rigorous review of our audits that is required for PAACO certification. It shows to our customers and consumers that welfare is a top priority for Tyson Foods.”

The company said its animal welfare culture is grounded in training and feedback mechanisms that encourage team members to report unacceptable treatment of animals. Tyson provides animal welfare training to every team member who comes in contact with live animals, and for those positions that require live animal handling, the company provides extensive animal welfare training in advance of interacting with live animals.

“We embrace our moral and ethical responsibility to treat animals in our care humanely,” said Dr. Ken Opengart, Tyson vice president of animal welfare and international sustainability. “Our team members, as well as the independent poultry, cattle and hog farmers who supply us, are expected to serve as stewards of the animals they work with every day. Today’s announcement is our next step in providing industry leadership and ensuring proper animal husbandry and care to the animals entrusted to us.”