Indiana Kitchen: Fresh Pork Products » Our Company » Corporate Responsibility » Our Commitment to Animal Welfare
Our Commitment to Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare Company Statement
We at Indiana Packers Corporation fully appreciate and understand the moral and ethical duties associated with the care and movement of food animal livestock. As such, we are fully committed to providing industry leading food animal welfare for all livestock under our care or those received at our facility.
In support of our commitment, our associates are trained and educated in the latest principles of care and movement of livestock. We utilize training and educational tools supplied by a number of respected industry sources as well as internal plant education programs. Simply providing one time training for our associates is not sufficient to meet our goal of being an industry leader. It is our opinion that continued education should be a priority for creating a culture that respects and understands the movement of livestock.
To this end, we are constantly working to expose our associates to new information and the latest techniques for animal care and movement. Additionally, our procurement staff works very closely with our supply partners and transporters to keep them informed of our efforts and enlist their support of our education programs.
The following highlights just some of polices and initiatives we employ to provide industry leading animal welfare.
- Employees acknowledge their commitment through a signed document.
- IPC requires all transporters to be TQA® [Transport Quality Assurance] Certified
- IPC recognizes the value for a farm validation through Pork Quality Assurance -Plus®
- In addition to internal self-audits; we have our animal welfare and handling systems evaluate at least annually by an independent third party with expertise in animal welfare.
- Indiana Packers Corporation has a zero tolerance policy established for the health of our animal welfare system and all associates abide by this policy.
- All associates and transporters are required to participate in the TQA® certification program administered by the National Pork Board. The program emphasizes the importance of proper care in loading / unloading, transport needs and possible weather related issues.
- In the summer 2010, Indiana Packers Corporation will require all producers and production facilities to be PQA-Plus® Certified. The program focuses on proper care, ventilation, on farm euthanasia plan and animal condition and care. Indiana Packers Corporation acknowledges the value these programs bring to our industry and the responsibility our producers show.
- Indiana Packers Corporation is a strong supporter of the National Pork Producers Council’s We Care program and strongly endorses the program’s Ethical Principles for U.S. Pork Producers. We firmly believe in our responsibility to produce safe food, protect and promote animal well-being, ensure practices to protect public health, safeguard nature resources, prove a safe work environment and contribute to a better quality of life in our communities.