What's in our food and what's coming out? That appears to be the story of the moment as one food manufacturer, retailer or restaurant chain announces, almost on a daily basis, that it is removing artificial ingredients, going GMO-free or taking other steps that can be viewed as promoting the health of Americans and the farm animals they eat.
Perhaps the biggest news on this front came from Walmart, which last week announced it was updating its animal welfare policy to promote more humane practices. The company is asking suppliers to limit the use of antibiotics to treating animals for diseases and not fattening them up, a common industry practice, according to an Associated Press report.
Walmart is also asking suppliers to stop confinement practices, such as the use of pig gestation crates, and to avoid procedures such as castration without the use of appropriate pain medicines.
In a company blog, Walmart's Kathleen McLaughlin, senior vice president - sustainability, wrote that the steps the chain has announced are part of an "ongoing journey" toward achieving a "safe and transparent" food chain.
Source: corporate.walmart.com/policies
"This is a historic and landmark day for the protection of farmed animals in America," Nathan Runkle, president of Mercy for Animals, told the Associated Press. "We urge Walmart to add greater teeth to this announcement by making the new guidelines a requirement rather than a mere recommendation and to set aggressive deadlines."
"It is ultimately our suppliers who are leading on safety and transparency," wrote Ms. McLaughlin. "As a retailer that sells products but does not produce them, we can use our strengths to influence change across our supply chain. The most impactful change, however, happens through partnerships."
Walmart's move appears to make business sense, particularly when it comes to Millennials, who may be cash-strapped but are also more conscious about what they put into their bodies than their parents and grandparents. Millennials are also Walmart shoppers, according to a report by Moosylvania, which found the chain was among the five top brands favored by the age group.