Food Safety Net Services Certification and Audit (FSNS C&A) has announced the creation of the FSNS C&A Temple Grandin Responsible Cattle Care Program. The program was developed under the guidance of Dr. Temple Grandin, driven by science, founded in practicality, and dedicated to continuing Dr. Grandin’s tireless service to the meat industry, and her core purpose of continuing to improve animal welfare.
Suppliers volunteer to participate in this innovative approach to improving the conditions under which cattle are managed throughout their life. This system focuses on objective scoring at meat harvesting facilities for indicators of responsible care and management of animals intended for human consumption. Participants in this program have committed themselves to developing a management system that uses routine monitoring to enhance the lives of the animals on which we depend. This is achieved by assessing the condition of animals received at the meat processing facility. Several of the measures that will be monitored at the plant are lameness, cleanliness, injuries, and internal health. While this program provides a means for greatly improving animal welfare through the reduction of serious welfare issues, it cannot measure cattle handling or painful procedures that occur prior to arrival at the meat processing plant.