Williams Sausage, a second-generation processor of sausages in Union City, Tenn., announced earlier this year that it would break ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility in its hometown.
A team of Ohio State researchers, led by Monique Pairis-Garcia and funded by Kraft Heinz, aims to solve the problem of aggression in sow group housing — and make the transition an easier one for producers, processors and the sows themselves.
The pork industry’s decision to convert to sow housing in recent years had been driven predominantly ethical concerns, but scientific research may yet help producers transition more easily to group housing and handle the new set of challenges it brings.
Partnering with American Development Partners, the deal includes $500 million in investment and the opening of more than 300 new locations over the next seven years.