McDonald's brings back the McRib (Creative Commons)

The nation’s largest animal protection organization, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), recently issued a complaint against the world’s largest hog producer, Smithfield Farms—the processor that supplies meat for the McRib. 

The complaint outlines several instances of inhumane animal treatment, and clearly labels the advertising techniques of the Virginia-based company as misleading and deceptive forms of marketing. The document concludes by requesting that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigate and take legal action against Smithfield for its untruthful statements regarding its sanitation standards and the treatment of its farm animals.

This is not the first time the Humane Society has criticized Smithfield’s tactics, however. 

In December 2010, an HSUS investigator worked undercover in a Smithfield breeding facility in Waverly, Virginia and created a YouTube video of his undercover experience, listing several perceived issues with the quality of Smithfield’s animal treatment.

HSUS claimed it did not see any veterinarian in the area. Also according to the video, the facility physically mishandled its piglets, maintained a poor level of sanitation, and contained inhumanely small gestation crates (sows were prevented from moving or changing positions). 

Gestation crates have so far been banned in eight states across the U.S. In 2007, Smithfield announced that it, too, would phase out gestation crates by the year 2017, and would begin to replace them with more spacious and social “group” pens. Two years later, however, the company reneged on its deadline. 

In response to HSUS’s latest complaint, Smithfield replied:

“We are proud of our unparalleled track record as a sustainable food producer and stand confidently behind our company’s public statements concerning animal care and environmental stewardship.” 

The company spokesperson goes on to state that “any objective assessment of our practices would conclude that Smithfield and our employees are behaving in a socially responsible manner.” 

Contact Raishad Hardnett here.