Aug. 29—Bon Appétit Management Co. announced today a commitment to source all of its loose ground beef and patties—more than a million pounds a year—from suppliers that meet strict animal-welfare standards.
By Sept. 1, every one of Bon Appetit’s 500-plus cafe or catering facilities in 32 states will serve ground beef and hamburger patties from suppliers that have been certified by one of four independent animal-welfare organizations. The independent certification is key to CEO Fedele Bauccio, who has seen the cruelty that can take place when an industry relies solely on a system of self-regulation and government oversight. He points to the animal cruelty and potential food safety problems documented at Central Valley Meat Co.
Bon Appetit’s ground-beef initiative is the latest step in the company’s plan, announced back in February, to source at least 25 percent of its meats by 2015 from suppliers certified by one of four humane programs: Animal Welfare Approved, Food Alliance, Humane Farm Animal Care and Global Animal Partnership.