Progressive Grocer - December 2008 - (Page 44)

The Certified Advantages For Retailers Keep Growing By The Dozen. Grocery A kinder, gentler Making sure that eggs are humanely produced has become a comprehensive effort involving manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. By Bridget Goldschmidt egg “When a high-profile retailer like D’Agostino requests, and, in some cases, requires, a supplier to become part of the Certified Humane Raised and Handled Certification Program, it is sure to have an impact on the industry as a whole,” said HFAC executive director Adele Douglass at a promotional event for the grocer’s humanely raised offerings in early 2006. Since then, such retailers as Heinen’s and Prather Ranch Meat Co. have followed suit. But other industry players have also been busy working on the issue of humanely produced eggs—in particular, the egg industry’s representatives. Atlanta-based trade association United Egg Producers (UEP), just recently protested the passage of the Proposition 2 animal welfare measure in California (for more details on this measure, as well as other Web-only material, go to Progressgrocer.com). However, UEP has worked for years in favor of science-based animal welfare standards, developing its UEP Certified Program in 2000 to address the issue. The program, according to UEP spokesman Mitch Head, “has been tremendously successful, as 85 percent of all U.S. egg producers now participate in the program and adhere to those guidelines. This means that nearly 90 percent of all shell eggs sold in grocery stores today are produced under the UEP Certified guidelines.” UEP Certified has now begun covering cagefree eggs for the first time, with similar animal welwww.progressivegrocer.com Research shows that a majority of today’s consumers are willing to pay a premium for humanely raised products, and these leading egg producers know it. Visit www.TheHumaneTouch.org to learn why cage-free eggs certified by the industry’s most respected farm animal welfare program can help grow your customer loyalty and profit. The farm animal welfare program of the American Humane Association. gg production requires large numbers of healthy laying hens, so animal welfare has always been a crucial issue for the egg industry. However, the topic has taken on new importance of late, spurred by rising consumer consciousness of how farm animals are treated before they (or their byproducts) end up on Americans’ plates. Such awareness has led savvy grocers, including Larchmont, N.Y.based D’Agostino Supermarkets, to carry eggs and other products bearing the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label from Herndon, Va.-based Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC). Meanwhile Whole Foods is developing its own “Animal Compassionate” standards, including those for laying hens. HFAC has run a humane certification program since 2003 that it says is the only one in the United States “dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals from birth through slaughter for the 10 billion farm animals raised for food each year.” D’Agostino became one of the first grocery retailers specifically to source eggs, livestock, poultry, and dairy from producers carrying the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label a few years ago, at the suggestion of supplier Murray’s Chicken. 44 • Progressive Grocer • December 2008 E http://www.TheHumaneTouch.org http://www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.TheHumaneTouch.org http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - December 2008

Progressive Grocer - December 2008
Contents
Front End: Onstead Becomes Interim Bi-Lo C.E.O.
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Shelfstable Juices/Vegetable Juices and Drinks
Market Snapshot: .Seattle-Tacoma,Wash
Retailer of the Year: Taking the lead
Lempert Report: Obama Prepares to Tackle Food Industry Issues
Independents Report: What Grocers Need to Know About Market Day
Consumer Research: Reason for Relevance
Shopper Culture: Reimagining Convenience Foods
Wake-up Call: The Ballad of The Egg Man
Eggs: A Kinder, Gentler Egg
Shelf-Stable Juice: Making a Splash
Post-PMA Show Analysis: High Yield
Niche Pork: Go Whole Hog for Local
Pharmacy: Chronic Customer Service
Technology: A Small-Town Grocer Discovers Digital DIY
Equipment Innovations
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - December 2008