Canadians urged to make a Certified Humane® choice this Thanksgiving

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 3, 2016 /CNW/ -- The majority of turkeys eaten this Thanksgiving will have spent their entire lives in overcrowded factory farms, according to Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), an international nonprofit certification program working to improve the lives of farm.

Canadians celebrating Thanksgiving on October 10, however, can make a humane choice by purchasing turkeys raised Certified Humane®.

Certified Humane® turkeys are raised under HFAC's Animal Care Standards for the humane treatment of farm animals. Turkeys must be raised on farms where they can express natural behaviors, such as flapping their wings, moving around freely, and perching above ground at night. They must also be fed grain-free diets and raised without preventive antibiotics.

"Many consumers care about how farm animals are treated," says Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC. "In just a little over a decade, we've seen a massive shift in consumer demand for more humanely-raised food. In Canada especially, Sobeys has taken the lead in providing consumers with Certified Humane® food options."

According to HFAC, Sobeys is the only major grocery store chain in North America that requires all the beef, pork, chicken and turkey in their "Better Food for All" program to be Certified Humane Raised and Handled®. Sobeys carries Sunrise Farms Certified Humane® Frozen Young Turkeys at their 1,500 stores across Canada.

HFAC is an international nonprofit certification program improving the lives of farm animals by urging consumer demand for humanely-raised food. Farms in the Certified Humane® program are independently audited annually to ensure compliance with HFAC's Animal Care standards.

Since HFAC launched in May 2003, more than 110 companies, representing thousands of farms and more than 514 million farm animals, have been Certified Humane® through the program. Certified Humane® food products are available in five countries – Canada, Brazil, Peru, Chile and the U.S.

To find a store near you that carries Certified Humane® turkeys, visit HFAC's "Where to Buy" page or download the free Certified Humane® app, which offers English, French and Spanish language options.

For more information on HFAC, visit www.certifiedhumane.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161003/414603

SOURCE Humane Farm Animal Care

Humane Farm Animal Care, 703-435-3883, [email protected], www.certifiedhumane.org