ANIMAL WELFARE AUDITS
Validus Animal Welfare Review
The humane treatment of animals is important to everyone, and it’s quickly becoming a key criterion for consumers evaluating food products in the grocery store aisle. Validus delivers third-party verification and certification to ensure that producers are adhering to animal welfare standards at the farm level, through transportation to insensibility, in the processing facility. Our Validus Animal Welfare Program includes a comprehensive audit and assessment of a farm’s animal care practices and provides correctives steps and actions when necessary. This program is performed on-farm by Validus auditors who are trained on ISO standards. Auditors are required to participate in ongoing, comprehensive training and re-certification on an annual basis. Validus has Animal Welfare Review programs for the dairy, swine, egg, beef and poultry industries.
View the AWR Dairy Standard here in English and here in Spanish.
CDFA Animal Care
Animal Care is a new program within the Animal Health and Food Safety Services division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Animal Care was formed after the passing of Proposition 12 (2018) to implement the law and its first task has been joint promulgation of regulations with Department of Public Health in addition to outreach and education of stakeholders.
Learn more here.
PAACO
Our Dairy and Swine Audits have been certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).
United Egg Producers
Validus is the only privately held company approved to conduct audits for the United Egg Producers (UEP); and their member companies. Validus auditors conduct the on-site audits according to UEP Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. egg laying flocks, which includes both caged and cage-free production, of which they have been trained. Audits are based on each component of the guidelines listed on the UEP audit.
Recognizing the growing concern for animal welfare worldwide, the United Egg Producers (UEP) commissioned a Scientific Advisory Committee for Animal Welfare. The Scientific Advisory Committee provided UEP with recommendations and guidelines on which the UEP Animal Husbandry Guidelines were based.
While the Animal Husbandry guidelines were presented to the egg industry as a voluntary program, it has since evolved into the committed “United Egg Producers Certified” program. In addition to meeting the Animal Husbandry Guidelines, a company must meet requirements on the following:
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Housing and Space Allowance
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Beak Trimming
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Molting
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Transportation and Handling
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) have endorsed UEP’s Animal Husbandry Guidelines.
American Humane Certified
Validus is the largest third-party auditor for American Humane Association’s farm animal welfare program, American Humane Certified. Validus and American Humane Certified began a cooperative working relationship in January 2008.
To learn more about American Humane Certified, check out their website at humaneheartland.org.
Canine Care Certified
Validus has been working with Dr. Candace Croney to audit pet breeders to the “Canine Care Certified” program. These audits are based on the voluntary standards for the care and well-being of breeding dogs. Like with any other third-party audit that is completed by Validus, there are a set of standards that have been developed and Validus audits the sites based on the standards. Those that are meeting the expectations through the third-party audit process are eligible for certification.
Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA)
Swine Industry audit tool.
Commitment Care Certification
Processors and Dealers audit for the swine industry.
Independent Swine Audits
Conduct audits for independent producer groups that want to be audits to standard that exceed the current industry programs.
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