At Pederson’s, our commitment to Making the Best, Better starts with the animals. Our goal is to produce high-quality meat products that are good for both consumers and the environment. One way we achieve this goal is through participation in animal welfare certification programs.
In order to earn an animal welfare certification, our farms must meet specific animal welfare standards, including providing the animals with a diet that meets their nutritional needs, ensuring that they have access to clean water and a clean environment, and allowing them to express their natural behaviors.
For more info about animal welfare, check out this blog: What is Animal Welfare?
Why Third-Party Audits are Essential for Ensuring Animal Welfare in Certification Programs
- A third-party audit is used to assess a farm or producer’s compliance to the standards of a specific certification program.
- The organization doing the audit is independent from the farm being audited.
- Typically, a third-party audit involves a thorough review of the farm’s operations. This includes on-site visits and the review of documents and records kept by the farm.
- The audit team will provide a report detailing their findings, and if the farm is in compliance with all standards, it will be awarded the certification.
These third-party audits are a vital part of animal welfare certifications because they provide farms with both transparency and accountability that they could not truly have if they assessed themselves.
With third-party audits and animal welfare certifications, customers can have confidence that they are really supporting farms and producers who are committed to the humane treatment of animals.
To learn more specifics about third-party audits and how the process works, check out this blog: Third-Party Audits
Pederson’s vertically integrated approach means that we have complete control of the process from farm to store. You can trust that when you shop Pederson’s, you’re purchasing products that are animal welfare certified.