Safeway Says It Will Formulate Plan For Gestation Crate-Free Pork

The national supermarket chain Safeway has announced that it is working to formulate a plan to sell pork only from suppliers that do not use gestation crates.

There is not yet a specific timeline for when this plan goes into effect, but it will happen "in a period of years," Safeway spokesperson Brian Dowling explained in an email to HuffPost Food. Although several fast food chains have given a timeline to their decision to eliminate gestation crates, Dowling says the the process will take some time. "A number of large vendors have been very public about their intentions to move in this direction and we are encouraged by that," he says.

The decision reflects a growing shift among major food companies.

"Safeway's decision to move away from gestation crates is welcome and encouraging news," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society, in a press release. "Given the scope and quantity of pork products sold by Safeway, this announcement is an important step in addressing animal welfare in the company's supply chain."

Nathan Runkle, the executive director of the animal rights group Mercy For Animals is "cautiously optimistic" about Safeway's announcement. "We hope this announcement is more than PR hogwash and that Safeway acts quickly to remove these cruel confinement systems from its supply chain to spare millions of animals horrific misery and suffering," he says in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post. Runkle ends his statement on an encouraging note, though. "Prominent grocery chains like Walmart, Kroger and Costco should quickly follow Safeway's lead in taking a stance against inherently cruel gestation crates."

Safeway's decision comes after a slew of other food companies have announced similar plans. Two weeks ago, Burger King announced pledged to be the first major U.S. fast food chain to use both cage-free pork and eggs by 2017. Check out the slideshow below to learn which other Big Food players have announced plans to go gestation crate-free.

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• Dunkin' Donuts

  In September, Dunkin' Donuts announced that it plans to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/dunkin-donuts-cage-free-eggs-gestation_n_1916260.html?1348678200" target="_hplink">eliminate all gestation crates</a>, but has not set a timeline. It is also moving toward cage-free eggs.

• McDonald's

  At the end of May, the country's leading hamburger chain by sales announced a plan to eliminate its suppliers' use of gestation crates by 2022.

• Denny's

  On May 15, Denny's announced it would work with its suppliers to end the use of gestation crates for its pork products.

• Safeway

  In May, Safeway -- the country's second-largest grocery chain -- said it plans to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120507/us-safeway-humane-pork/" target="_hplink">stop buying meat</a> from suppliers that use gestation crates.

• Burger King

  On April 23, Burger King pledged to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/burger-king-gestation-crates_n_1451703.html" target="_hplink">eliminate the use of pork from pigs raised in crates by 2017</a>. The company also pledged to offer entirely cage-free eggs by 2017.

• Wendy's

  In March, Wendy's announced it would work with its U.S. and Canadian pork suppliers to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/wendys-animal-treatment_n_1375724.html" target="_hplink">phase out the use of gestation crates</a>.

• Compass Group

  Also in March, Compass Group announced it would <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/going_green/2012/03/compass-group-will-end-contracts-with.html" target="_hplink">phase out the use of meat from pigs raised in gestation crates</a> by 2017. Compass Group runs dining operations at about 10,000 companies, hospitals, senior living centers, schools, colleges and universities, making it the largest food service company in the world.

• McDonald's

  McDonald's also announced in February its <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/mcdonalds-gestation-crates_n_1275942.html" target="_hplink">plan to stop using meat from pig raised in the crates</a> by 2017.

• Hormel, the maker of products like Spam, announced in February it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/hormel-gestation-crates_n_1249707.html" target="_hplink">pledges to eliminate most gestation crates by 2017</a>.

• Bon Appétit Management Company

  Also in February, Bon Appetit announced it would <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-bon-appetit-gestation-crates-20120220,0,7675759.story" target="_hplink">stop buying pork from providers who use gestation cates</a>. Bon Appetit runs more than 400 cafes across 31 states.

• Smithfield Foods

  Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, announced late last year it would <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/smithfield-gestation-crates_n_1136567.html" target="_hplink">end its practice of using gestation crates</a> for pregnant hogs by 2017.

• Oscar Mayer

  In early July, Oscar Mayer pledged to source its pork from suppliers that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/oscar-mayer-gestation-crates_n_1658670.html" target="_hplink">no longer use gestation crates</a>. Oscar Mayer is owned by Kraft Foods.

• Sysco

  On July 23, Sysco <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/sysco-gestation-crates_n_1698971.html?1343152570" target="_hplink">pledged to work with its producers to stop the use of gestation crates</a>. Sysco is the world's largest broadline food distributor.

Comments

[Shankar Huntsville]

10:45 AM on 05/15/2012

NO WONDER, we are one of the sickest nation of the world despite the best me dines available here.

[I-US]

08:52 PM on 05/08/2012

Only the meat industry could put a deadline on addressing cruelty.

[Rooster Coburn]

07:13 PM on 05/08/2012

Doesn't PETA stand for "People Eating Tasty Animals"?

[jenniferkizzy]

10:35 AM on 05/09/2012

it should but it doesn't sad

[olitenup]

05:49 PM on 05/08/2012

Right...they think people will forget they buy meat from animal torturers.

Tyson Foods pork suppliers are now on tape as unbelievable torture and abuse being committed on animals.

[jenniferkizzy]

03:12 PM on 05/08/2012

by the way please don't respond bye i really don't care bye

[jenniferkizzy]

03:11 PM on 05/08/2012

yes yes every one hates meat eater's were evil hateful spite ful people we own gun's and vote republican we start war's and we even disrupt life as we know it we meat eater's are the pinnacle of evilness bye

[amaboss52]

03:45 PM on 05/08/2012

No we just hate you, so stop saying "we"!

[Karl Wilder]

12:56 PM on 05/08/2012

No timeline means that this is a meaningless ploy for publicity.

[plantbasedpunk]

11:38 AM on 05/08/2012

Just one abuse in a whole system of abuses. The end result will just be gestation crate-free factory farms and the animals will still be exposed to a lifetime of suffering, anguish, fear and abuse.

Also, I imagine Safeways effort will only affect the meat in their meat department. Not processed food items (like TV dinners, soups) and deli meats.

[honeybear64]

11:18 AM on 05/10/2012

That's a question I had, too. For example, at our local Earthfare, which guarantees humanely produced meat, eggs, and dairy products, I asked the manager if that applies to things like frozen prepared meals, canned soups, and so on that they sell, and he said, "Well, we try our best, but we don't have control over every aspect of another company's practices".

That said, I do find your assumption that ALL animal agriculture inherently involves "a lifetime of suffering, anguish, fear, and abuse" to be more the result of vegan propaganda than of actual knowledge of humane and sustainable farming. There are plenty of hog farms that don't, and never have, employed gestation crates, and the meat from those farms is more accessible than a lot of people realize.

www.eatwild.com
www.localharvest.org

[plantbasedpunk]

11:51 AM on 05/10/2012

More than 99% of the meat produced in this country comes from industrialized factory farms. Sure, there's a few that do things differently but the amount is negligible. This is where our meat comes from.

Also, I've found that most people who claim to support "small farms" do not extend this outside their own homes. They are more than happy to gorge on factory farmed animal products when dining out, dining in other people's homes, traveling and at work. Buying a pound of local pork every so often does not exemplify you of the guilt you share with animal abusers.

[Summer77]

09:56 PM on 05/07/2012

We need a list of all the companies who are mistreating the animals so that we can make an informed decision as to wether or not we want to buy from them. I gave up pork a long time ago and brown meat. But I love chicken I really try buying organic but the price sometimes is outrages!

[plantbasedpunk]

11:34 AM on 05/08/2012

99% of the meat in the country is produced in factory farms. Even organic, and free-range facilities expose animals to much of the same abuses that are standard practice on factory farms. The only way to know how the animal was raised is to see the farm yourself. Or, you could just try using Gardein in your chicken dishes. Their crispy tenders mimic the real thing perfectly.

[Summer77]

12:09 PM on 05/08/2012

I would love to try them! I will check into that thanks. I am already starting a garden on my deck :)

[HazelPethigFan]

10:27 PM on 05/08/2012

So you think even free range and organic production is cruel as well, huh?.

Since you seem to think how to do it, how would YOU run a pig farm? I'd love to see how you'd do it. I'd probably howl with laughter.

And what about never using antibiotics on organic pigs, even for illness. No exceptions. That's the rule. Is letting an animal suffer from illness that could be easily be treated with antibiotics cruel or not cruel?

answer that.

[liberalbug]

09:02 PM on 05/07/2012

free range bacon. MMMMMMM.

[HazelPethigFan]

08:52 PM on 05/07/2012

So who will pay for the increased vet bills when sows fight each other in common areas? Has anyone ever been around pigs? These animals are mean to each other. Gestation crates allow for equal feeding with no bullying. When fed in common areas, a few dominant sows get big while the others fight for the rest of the food.

Then of course organic pigs can never be treated for illness with common antibiotics, so they suffer needlessly.

Wow....you animal "rights" people are creating a crueler and crueler system by the day.

Ironic huh?.

[plantbasedpunk]

11:42 AM on 05/08/2012

Oh BS. They're only wild and mean because freaking factory farms beat, confine and mutilate these poor things at every chance they get and then LIE about it or pretend to play they actually give a darn about animal welfare. I've been around pigs and seen them interact with each other. When you treat them with respect rather than disrespect they are friendly, curious, gentle and even playful. Don't try to blame the animal rights activists for exposing a system of cruelty that YOU created.

[HazelPethigFan]

06:07 PM on 05/08/2012

Oh BS yourself. Yeah right....all farmers are cruel to pigs. LOL! Do you realize healthy pigs=healthy profits.

You've interacted with them? where? be specific. they are NOT gentle creatures, especially in open pens. You people make me laugh...you dream of a Currier and Ives picture that never existed..

And you avoided the issue of the organic ban on antibiotics use for illness altogether. Why?

[olitenup]

05:50 PM on 05/08/2012

Said the industrial pork farmer.

[HazelPethigFan]

06:12 PM on 05/08/2012

Nope....I grew up with pigs in open pens on family farm. If they are "gentle pets" why did us farm Kids stay away from running around with them.

They are not friggin pets.

[thrugreeneyez]

07:57 PM on 05/07/2012

Not until 5 years though! 5 long years of torture and misery for the animals. Can't they make the changes faster? Of course, they still have to slash the animals throat and transport them to slaughter in what is always an inhumane way. The best thing to do would be to stop raising animals for food- period, if they really care about animal welfare. Go vegan!

[kerryandjanie]

07:10 PM on 05/07/2012

I love the taste of pork but gave up buying it almost two years ago. Quit buying veal 25 years ago. From what I've seen and in my opinion Smithfield Farm is one of the worst companies for abusive and tortuous treatment of pigs. Pigs have higher IQs than dogs or horses. Looked into the eyes of the pigs in the metal cages and felt like a mass murderer. I occasionally (every 5 or 6 months) buy a pound of nitrate-free bacon from a local butcher who gets whole pigs from a local pig farm. The town I live in just NW of Jacksonville FL has a population of 1090 according to the 2009 census, but that includes the outlying county too. Please try to buy meat from local farms or at least consider boycotting places like Smithfield until they raise and slaughter animals in the most humane manner possible. Spend a little more and buy cage-free chicken eggs too; you'll sleep better and the eggs do taste better.

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

06:26 PM on 05/07/2012

Another article about executive compensation???