ALTOONA (AP) — Tyson has decided to expand its animal welfare requirements to its beef and chicken suppliers.
The Des Moines Register says a Tyson manager told Iowa cattle producers on Monday that they must meet the requirements next year if they want to sell to Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson.
In October 2012, Tyson announced it was requiring hog producers to humanely care for their animals and said at the time that it would expand the program to include chicken and cattle farms by January 2014.
Tyson beef supply chain manager Lora Wright told about 50 cattle producers at the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association’s convention in Altoona that the treatment guidelines are being driven by Tyson customers that include McDonald’s and Whole Foods.
A third-party auditor will visit farms to ensure compliance.