Video: Humane Society sues Perdue Farms

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States.

If you continue to buy and eat Perdue chicken after seeing this video, you have a strong stomach.

The Humane Society of the United States filed suit in New Jersey against Maryland-based Perdue Farms late last year after labels on chicken sold at a warehouse store claimed the poultry had been "humanely raised." It is seeking class-action status.

The suit was brought on behalf of a New Jersey woman who bought chicken at a BJ's Wholesale Club bearing the Harvestland label, a trade name used by Perdue for birds raised in Kentucky and marketed as "purely all-natural" and "humanely raised."

The suit alleges that the poultry producer's marketing violates New Jersey's consumer fraud law. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against Perdue, as well as an injunction barring it from making claims that it treats its birds humanely.

The label is similar to those you see in the supermarket that omit any mention of Perdue's use of antibiotics to raise chickens. The Humane Society says Perdue processes 3 billion pounds of chicken a year.

Warning: The content of this video is graphic. Here is the link:

Humane Society sues Perdue 

Memories of Italy

Image by Alex Bikfalvi via Flickr

Sunset over the Adriatic Sea.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss the pleasures of eating out in Italy, and compare Costco Wholesale and B.J.'s Wholesale Club.

More than a month after I came home, I found notes about one of the meals I had on my vacation that reveal the pleasures of dining out in Italy.

All of the restaurants I visited in Milan, Venice and Gallarate were nicely or beautifully decorated. Service was polished, and food was cooked to order.

During my visit to Venice, I stayed on Lido island, a beach resort on the Adriatic Sea that allows motor vehicles. I was on a quiet end of the island, with a panoramic view, and my hotel was across the way from a bus stop. Downtown and ferries to other islands were only two kilometers away.

My first dinner on Lido was at a seafood restaurant called La Sfera. I sat inside and looked around. The ceiling was covered with beautiful textiles, and the walls were adorned with paintings and gorgeous sconces.

I chose a fixed-price, 26-euro menu (about $35) and had a wonderful meal:

My spaghetti with clams also had red pepper, garlic and parsley, and some of the freshest bivalves I've encountered. The entree: nine grilled sardines (smaller than the fresh ones from Portugal I see in North Jersey), with a side of sauteed spinach. I finished with a cup of espresso.

La Sfera, Via Lepanto, 19, Lido di Venezia; 041.5261722.

Costco v. BJ's 

I tried to prepare the wild-salmon burgers I bought at BJ's Wholesale Club on Tuesday, but when I opened the box, I found two plastic bags, each with five frozen salmon burgers that were fused together. 

The Costco salmon burgers are in a single, large plastic bag, without additional packaging, and easily break apart when frozen. The burgers are made from fillets, according to the package.

Costco's Trident-brand salmon burgers weigh a total of 3 pounds ($12.99), and BJ's World Catch-brand salmon burgers weigh 2.5 pounds ($11.99).

I also wrote that on my second visit to BJ's, I saw frozen, wild-caught shrimp from Mexico and the U.S. for $11.99 a pound, and that Costco only sells farmed shrimp and prawns. 

But today, previously frozen, wild Pacific brown prawns from Mexico were available at Costco for $8.99 a pound.

Stopping at Stop & Shop

Image via Wikipedia

I had an errand today near the Super Stop & Shop in north Hackensack, and stopped in to see what was on sale.


I found a special on Wallaby-brand organic yogurt in 6-ounce cups at four for $3 or 75 cents each -- 4 cents less than at BJ's Wholesale Club in Paramus. I bought eight cups of the flavored yogurt. My wife prefers Wallaby to Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt, and I agree with her.


What looked like a half gallon of Tropicana orange juice (two for $6) was actually only 59 ounces, instead of 64 ounces.

In produce, I had trouble trying to figure out the signs. The only sign for romaine lettuce I saw said $1.99 each and had "Organic" written above it, but when I got to the register, the big head I chose rang up at $1.50 or two for $3, and likely is conventional, not organic. It weighed about two pounds.

On the way home, I stopped at Sahara Fine Foods for 11 cans of Al Shark-brand Moroccan sardines in spicy oil, at 99 cents each (not skinless and boneless). A 16-ounce jar of Beirut-brand tahini sauce was $3.99.

It's a good thing I picked up the romaine lettuce, because when I wanted to make a salad with Earthbound Farm organic spring mix for dinner tonight, I found it had started to rot, and it has a use-by date of Oct. 25. I plan to take it back to Costco in Hackensack for a full refund.

Stop and Shop, 380 W. Pleasantview Ave., Hackensack; 201-342-6030.


Sahara Fine Foods, 242 S. Summit Ave., Hackensack; 201-487-7222.