March 7, 2005

Orthodox Union Releases Industry Animal Welfare Audit of Agriprocessors

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Rabbi Menachem Genack, Rabbinic Administrator of the Kashrus Division of the Orthodox Union, today released the results of an audit of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa by the Animal Welfare Audit Program (AWAP) of the National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) that was conducted on February 17, 2005.

“We are extremely pleased with the results,” Rabbi Genack said. “We are working with FMI to review their standards for kosher slaughter, including upright religious slaughter. – Their standards in general provide good guidelines for the humane treatment of animals. And in all areas except for upright slaughter, Agriprocessors has complied with the AWAP standards for humane animal treatment.”

The FMI/NCCR standards require the cut for religious slaughter be made while the animal is in an upright position. The rabbinic authorities that produce meat for their congregations through Agriprocessors have mandated the cut for religious slaughter be made while the animal is in a recumbent or inverted position. Recumbent kosher slaughter is considered humane under the federal Humane Slaughter Act. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel requires meat producers to slaughter their cattle in a recumbent position for their meat to be considered kosher. Recumbent slaughter is considered humane and is widely practiced in the European Union.

For the past few months, , Orthodox rabbinic authorities have been working with FMI to review its guideline requiring upright kosher slaughter on the basis that the animals were treated humanely during recumbent slaughter and that the decision to slaughter animals in a recumbent position was solely a religious issue.

Rabbi Genack, who oversees the OU’s certification of 250,000 kosher products from over 6,000 factories in 68 countries, said, “We have maintained all along that procedures at Agriprocessors meet our standards of kashrut and now feel vindicated by this third-party validation of Agriprocessors humane treatment of animals. Recumbent slaughter is humane and the AWAP audit was very clear: Agriprocessors treats animals humanely.”

In December, an unprecedented coalition of rabbis confirmed that kosher slaughter practices at Agriprocessors’ plant conformed to the highest standards, of Jewish law and tradition. Elected officials, leading rabbis and veterinary scientists who subsequently visited Agriprocessors’ plant confirmed that its practices conformed to federal law, kosher law and animal welfare standards.

Letter from AWAP

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