The Virginian-Pilot
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Some images in an undercover video at a Smithfield Foods Inc. sow farm in Waverly depict "unacceptable behavior" by employees, according to a report issued Wednesday by the company.
But a top executive, Dennis Treacy, says they were "isolated occurrences." Smithfield, the report says, has "a robust animal welfare system " with "zero tolerance for abuse."
Smithfield released the findings of an investigation sparked by the video late Wednesday. The pork processor announced Tuesday that it had fired two employees and their supervisor at the farm.
The report from the investigation team, which included animal-welfare researcher Temple Grandin and State Veterinarian Richard Wilkes, offers five recommendations, including reviewing training programs and euthanasia procedures, increasing site visits from "corporate management" and initiating unannounced inspections by "third parties."
The video, released last week by the Humane Society of the United States, shows pigs being prodded, thrown by their legs and cramped in "gestation crates." They had sores and cuts, and one had a bloody mouth.
In one instance, a worker shoots a sick sow with a stun gun to kill it and throws it in a trash bin while it is still breathing.
Not all of the scenes indicated problems, Smithfield says in the report.
For example, the bleeding pig probably had "bleeding gums." The investigation team, the report says, did not find other pigs with that condition.
It also says the "gestation crates" - the chief target of the Humane Society's criticism - meet industry guidelines. The pregnant sows housed in them can "easily lie down ... and stand back up."
But the report says the prodding and tossing of the pigs and the botched euthanasia attempt were "unacceptable." It also criticizes the Humane Society employee who worked undercover at the farm for a month for not reporting the problems immediately to his boss at the time.
In an accompanying report, Grandin and livestock-handling consultant Jennifer Woods say Smithfield had "responded rapidly and appropriately.... The on-site assessment found barns and hogs in good condition, with minor infractions that will be quickly rectified."
They say their "greatest concern" was the need to improve policies governing "euthanasia and the confirmation of death before disposal of the animals."
In an accompanying statement, Treacy, Smithfield's senior vice president for corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer, said the company "is continuing its efforts to eliminate gestation stalls from our sow farms," including the one in Waverly, run by Smithfield subsidiary Murphy-Brown LLC.
He did not say how many had been phased out or when the conversion would be completed.
Josh Balk, a spokesman for the Humane Society who released the video, said in an e-mail Wednesday night that Smithfield "continues to try to change the subject and shift the blame," even to the Humane Society.
"The company's greatest failure is continuing the use of inhumane gestation crates" without a deadline for their replacement, Balk wrote.
The Smithfield report is at smithfieldfoodstoday.com.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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If you eat animals, you cause cruelty, abuse and brutal deaths
These so called "isolated occurrences" are only "isolated" in the fact that they are not all filmed and documented. Thanks to organizations as HSUS, the truth is being revealed more often. These animals are forced into being crammed into gestation crates. They live their horrific lives in filth. They can not move. Pigs are intelligent animals. To the people who scream that people who care about non human animals, do not care about humans- I am fully capable of caring for, and doing all that I can to help humans AND animals. Until humans extend their compassion to ALL beings whom we SHARE this Earth, there will never be true Peace on Earth. Meat eating is cruel to the animals, bad for human health, and polluting our environment. Go vegan!
Why is it
what was acceptable 20 years ago is now so despicable? We never knew this was going on 20-30 years ago. Now it has become our burden to watch over animals? I have sever problems with a country that worries more about how animals are treated than how we treat each other. Seems to me that when we can find a way to all live together in harmony - it might be time to start worrying about livestock that we will eventually eat. I don't mistreat my dogs, I can't stand what Michael Vick for what he did, but undercover stings on food processing is absurd. Grow a heart for the human race first!
Well, 50 years ago we were segregated
According to your logic people shouldn't have worried about equality for the races until all white protestant men could get along and live in harmony and only then should we worry about minorities. If separate but equal was acceptable in the mid-20th century, are you saying that also wasn't so despicable?
Your Attempt to Make a Point
gets lost due to an apples/oranges comparison - or in other words a human/animal comparison. I suppose you picture yourself so clever and worldly by making such a potentially incendiary comparison. To which I simply say felicitations on your wit yet you must still be missing the point. Happiest of holidays.
Never Again
After watching the video that came out last week I'll never buy meat again, or eat it in a restaurant, if it doesn't state it was humanely raised. Obviously Smithfield foods is out. Even if the humanely raised meat isn't what they claim, at least it wasn't kept in tiny cages and hit with a metal pole for no reason. That video was terrible. I didn't eat as much meat as 90% of Americans before watching the video, now it will be easier to eat even less.
"Humanely raised" are still brutally slaughtered
A label that has the words: "humanely raised" does not change the fact that the animals are brutally killed. Each animal feels fear. Each animal fights for his/her life. There is nothing "humane" in slaughtering another being who fights to live, and has the will to live just as you and I. Humans do not need to eat animals. More and more people are giving up meat and are feeling the healthy rewards of it. Omitting meat and animal products is better for your health, better the the environment and better for the animals. Look up Christina Pirello, or "Christina cooks". She is a nutritionist who is well educated in plant based/vegan nutrition. She also has some of the best recipes for tasty, healthy, whole foods that I have ever found.
Boycott Smithfield Foods
Again, In my opinion, if you eat Smithfield products you are supporting animal abuse. I have no problem with eating meat but, I do have a problem with cruelty to animals. Locking an animal in a crate where they can't even move is inhumane. Until the Humane Society signs off on this company I will boycott every one of their products. Please note: this company has many brand labels.
I love Smithfield Food
I love Smithfield Food products, especially their country hams. It is obvious that you have not done any research on the use of the gestation pens. In the early 1970's I raised hogs to put myself through college and at one time had over 200 hogs. These gestation pens are used to prevent females from rolling over onto the piglets and killing them. I only used them during the gestation period. It is not cruel nor does it harm the female hogs. It does save the lives of many of the small pigs and improves productivity. Perhaps you should do research before writing about cruel treatment. Also, I suggest that if you go into a pen that has a female hog with piglets, take an electric cattle prod with you if you don't want to get hurt.
"It is not cruel" to force
"It is not cruel" to force intelligent animals to be crammed into crates so they can't even turn around?? You claim "it is not cruel" to deprive intelligent, naturally inquisitive animals of being able to make a nest, and to walk on the earth (NOT on concrete and grates)??PLEASE. You obviously were conditioned to view animals as machines, or objects, or "products" and not as the living, breathing, feeling,beings they are. Pigs are intelligent animals. It has been shown they're even more intelligent than dogs. They are naturally active and playful. It certainly IS cruel to confine animals. The fact that you say it "improves productivity" has NOTHING to do with the animal and everything to do with making money.btw, cattle prods are cruel too!