Farming with the Highest Quality Care
Our Valley Fresh Foods animal care certifications are among the strongest in the farming community. These rigorous programs speak for themselves and tell the story about our animal care values and “How We farm”. Keeping our hens healthy and free from diseases is an important component of our animal care program. We work with veterinarians and poultry specialists and strive to have healthy productive flocks. Our hens continuously have access to our custom formulated high-quality feeds, as well as clean filtered water, appropriate lighting, and management practices designed for optimal animal well-being. Learn more about our Valley Fresh Foods animal care guidelines and certifications below.
Certified Humane
The goal of the Certified Humane Program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label on a product you can be assured that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise, objective standards for farm animal treatment.
Humane Farm Animal Care is supported by a consortium of Animal Protection Organizations, Individuals, and Foundations, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Organic Certification
QAI (Quality Assurance International) is a leading USDA-accredited organic product certifying agency. QAI has been an active leader in the organic industry, advocating for high integrity organic regulations, since its beginning in 1989. QAI is committed to ensuring organic integrity at every link in the organic production chain.
American Humane Certified
The American Humane Certified™ Animal Welfare Standards are species-specific and grounded on solid scientific research. The standards were created with input from renowned animal science experts and veterinarians and are frequently reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Committee to reflect current research, technological advances, best practices, and humane handling methods. The Animal Welfare Standards were built upon the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, which require that an animal be healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express normal behavior, and free from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. American Humane Certified producers are audited for their compliance to the standards. The audit tools, full standards, and supplemental templates are fully transparent. (in California only)
UEP Certified
United Egg Producers (UEP) developed guidelines for optimal hen well-being – guidelines that are backed by decades of research and recommendations from an independent Scientific Advisory Committee.
The UEP Certified Program addresses the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, ensuring excellent care and quality of life for hens.
- Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
- Freedom from Discomfort Due to the Environment
- Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
- Freedom to Express Normal Behavior for the Species
- Freedom from Fear and Distress
UEP Certified Cage-Free
UEP Certified Cage-Free Guidelines were developed in 2006 to help assure hen welfare. Cage-free eggs are laid by hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor barns and have access to fresh food and water. Cage-free systems vary from farm to farm and can include multi-tier aviaries. They must allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors and include enrichments such as scratch areas, perches and nests. Hens must have access to litter, protection from predators, and be able to move through a barn in a manner that promotes bird welfare.
SQF 2000
The Safe Quality Food Institute Mission: To deliver consistent, globally recognized food safety and quality certification programs based on sound scientific principles, consistently applied across all industry sectors, and valued by all stakeholders.