School Cafeteria Vendor Collaborates with Humane Society of the United States
In a little reported news item from two weeks ago, Aramark announced that it is collaborating with the Humane Society of the United States to set up new animal welfare practices.
Aramark is a food service provider to thousands of schools, universities and other institutions in the United States and 21 other countries. It also is a uniform provider for businesses, services vending machines and has some 270,000 employees world-wide.
Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO, touted the collaboration in a blog he posted on the HSUS site April 30th.
Under the new policy, Aramark will eliminate veal from animals raised in crates in the United States by 2017 and work with suppliers to eliminate the use of hormones an feed additives that it says are “harmful to farm animals,” including BST. It also wants to eventually eliminate tail docking and dehorning.
It will purchase only cage-free eggs by 2020, and eliminate pork from swine operations that use gestation crates by 2017.
The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association (DBA) notified its board and members of the new collaboration between Aramark and HSUS, which is widely regarded as anti-animal agriculture among mainstream producers. One DBA Board member has already notified his Aramark provider he is cancelling his uniform service. The issue is likely to surface at local school board meetings if Aramark is a food vendor.
