US transparency challenge to poultry producers

Beyond Meat, a developer of plant-based products that replicate the texture and taste of meat, has offered a facility transparency challenge to large-scale poultry processors, in light of the recent disclosure about salmonella in chickens distributed in California, Oregon and Washington.

Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, issued an open letter on the company’s blog asking poultry producers to be more transparent about their food production plants. Brown has adopted an open-door policy at the company’s facility in Columbia, Missouri, effective immediately, pledging to open Beyond Meat’s production plant for anyone who wants to come and see it.

“We founded this company with one overriding goal: to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable and humane protein,” Brown said. “With this salmonella outbreak, which has now affected people in 18 states, we feel it is the right time to raise the bar for health and sanitation issues in factory farms and giant meat processors.”

Beyond Meat provides consumers with plant-based proteins that provide the taste, texture and nutritional benefits of meat. The products look and shred like chicken, but have no inherent meat-borne bacteria risk. The likelihood of anyone getting salmonella is extremely low. Brown promises that Beyond Meat always puts the health and safety of consumers first.

Brown concludes the challenge by calling out the poultry processors. “So now the ball is in your court, Ron Foster (Foster Farms), Donnie Smith (Tyson), Frank Perdue (Perdue), Bill Lovette (Pilgrim’s Pride), and other protein providers. Will you pledge to open your processing facilities to the public, too?”