DUBLIN, Ohio – The Wendy’s Company announced a partnership with the Progressive Beef program, which offers third-party verification of animal welfare standards and practices. The announcement came with the release of Wendy’s corporate social responsibility progress report.
Wendy’s said the company intends to implement the plan starting in 2019, with at least 50 percent of its beef supply chain participating by 2021. The program focus will include:
- Providing a safe, humane environment for cattle through staff training on management practices and hands-on veterinary care;
- Responsible use of antibiotics under the supervision of a veterinarian and with thorough record-keeping, strictly adhering to withdrawal times, utilizing HACCP principles and ensuring a clean and safe environment for the animals; and
- Responsible use of natural resources while investing in the people who care for cattle and the local communities through staff training and certification.
Auditors will verify and report on progress in these core focus areas, the company added. Audits are conducted bi-yearly — one is an internal audit conducted by Progressive Beef quality assurance team, the other audit is conducted by a US Dept. of Agriculture-approved auditor.
Wendy’s said the company’s partnership with Progressive Beef is a next step in its commitments related to its beef supply chain. In 2018, the company committed to source all of its beef from Quality Assurance-certified sources. Also, Wendy’s agreed to source nearly 20 percent of its beef from producers who track and reduce their use of antibiotics that are medically important to human medicine.
“Wendy’s also regularly consults with outside experts from academia, animal agriculture, and veterinary medicine to support animal care and welfare decisions, and this year [the company] expanded the council to include more external professionals,” Wendy’s noted.
