Hormel,  Smithfield,  & McDonald’s agree to end keeping pregnant pigs immobilized in stalls

AUSTIN,  Minnesota–Hormel Foods,  producers of the pork product Spam since 1937,  on February 2,  2012 followed Smithfield Foods in pledging to phase out immobilizing pregnant sows in gestation stalls by 2017.

The Hormel and Smithfield pledges appeared to be strategic positioning in advance of a February 13,  2012 announcement by McDonald’s Corporation senior vice president Dan Gorsky that “McDonald’s wants to see the end of sow confinement in gestation stalls in our supply chain.  We are beginning an assessment with our U.S. suppliers to determine how to build on the work already underway to reach that goal,”  Gorsky said.  “In May,  after receiving our suppliers’ plans, we’ll share results from the assessment and our next steps.” Read more