Perdue has agreed to remove the “humanely raised” claim from the labels on its Harvestland chicken packaging.
In exchange, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will drop two class-action lawsuits filed against the company in 2010 and 2013 in which the plaintiffs argued that the claim was a misleading one. Some research suggests that broiler chickens may be a significant source for Campylobacter and Salmonella. The requirements for label claims about animal welfare are not clear-cut, but, according to HSUS, the poultry industry’s so-called humane guidelines allow for painful handling and shackling of live birds; nearly continuous dim lighting that prevents normal resting behavior and is linked to painful problems associated with fast growth; the transport and holding of birds on cramped trucks for long periods of time in extreme temperatures with no food or water, and inhumane slaughter practices. “Companies like Perdue are exploiting the dramatic growth of consumer demand for improved animal welfare for their own profit,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel of Animal Protection Litigation for HSUS, at the time of the 2010 lawsuit. “Rather than implementing humane reforms, Perdue has simply slapped ‘humanely raised’ stickers on its factory farmed products, hoping consumers won’t know the difference.” At the time of Monday’s settlement with HSUS, Herb Frerichs, general counsel for Perdue Farms, said, “Perdue rejects the plaintiffs’ allegations and maintains that its labels are not misleading in any way. Nonetheless, it has agreed to discontinue the labeling claim at issue. Perdue is committed to treating animals with respect and to ensure their health and safety. We are pleased this lawsuit has been resolved.”
