Searching in vain for antibiotic-free Perdue chicken at ShopRite

None of the Perdue poultry I saw this morning at ShopRite in Paramus carried a statement that the chickens were "raised with no antibiotics ever." That claim did appear in a Perdue ad and coupon insert that came with my Sunday newspaper.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Flipping through the coupons that came with my Sunday newspaper, I really was surprised by an ad for Perdue chicken breasts "raised with no antibiotics ever."

Did the processor that has hidden its use of human antibiotics to speed the growth of its chickens for more than a decade finally reform?

On the Web, I found sites that discussed how Perdue is limiting the use of some antibiotics, but I couldn't find any of that chicken at ShopRite in Paramus.

On the wrapper for Perdue chicken without antibiotics, that fact is listed first, above "all vegetarian diet," "no animal by-products" and "raised cage free," according to the ad I saw.

The Perdue ad and coupon I saw. I know "what could be more perfect" than chicken-breast portions raised without antibiotics. Actually being able to find them in a supermarket.

ShopRite has long carried antibiotic-free Readington Farms chicken, such as this roaster. At $1.41 per pound, this naturally raised chicken is actually cheaper than the whole Perdue chicken with antibiotics I saw today.

Perdue Farms can't shed scarlet letter

Image via Wikipedia

It takes a tough consumer to see through Perdue's claims.

Perdue Farms has a new TV ad campaign that tries to convince consumers its chickens are "better," but the spots are silent on its use of antibiotics to make them grow quickly and keep them healthy in crowded conditions.


I saw one of the ads this morning on the TV mounted on my exercise bicycle at the gym, and antibiotics were never mentioned. 


They earn Perdue the scarlet letter "A."


I once saw a PBS documentary that showed a chicken growing so big on antibiotics, it could not stand and constantly fell over in a crowded chicken house.


The ads claim Perdue gives its chicken an all-vegetarian feed, with no added animal by-products, and never administers "steroids or hormones."


But the government bars the use of steroids and hormones, so that claim is meaningless.


Here is a story in the Huffington Post on the new campaign.


Perdue tries to improve perception of chicken


Most supermarkets, including ShopRite and Stop & Shop, carry fresh chicken raised without antibiotics.

A new way to kill chickens

Image by V'ron via Flickr

Is the sun setting on inhumane methods at factory chicken farms?

Pennsylvania-based Bell & Evans raises chickens without antibiotics and gives them room to roam, according to its Web site. 

Now, the producer is adopting a method to kill chickens that is called far less stressful than the conventional practice of hanging them by their feet and slitting their throats while they are still alive.

Below is a link to a story in The New York Times on the new method. Contrast it with the video from the Humane Society of the United States taken inside Perdue Farms that you'll find in a previous post, Video: Humane Society sues Perdue Farms.

New way to help chickens cross to the other side

Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market, has a video showing some of the farms where it buys meat and the supermarket chain's animal-welfare standards:

What makes our meat different

On Sunday afternoon, I purchased $20 worth of frozen organic chicken feet and discounted antibiotic-free chicken quarters -- priced at $1.50 to $2.04 a pound -- at Whole Foods in Paramus, and used a $5-off coupon at checkout. It's nice to get a deal on food that is good for you.

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