Wild Oats Private Label Eggs to Carry 'Certified Humane' Label
BOULDER, Colo. –- Natural and organic foods retailer Wild Oats Markets here will now feature Humane Farm Animal Care's (HFAC) "Certified Humane" label on its store-brand cage-free and organic cage-free eggs.
"This event makes the Wild Oats chain the first in the U.S. to have independent, third-party-validated humane-treatment certification for its branded eggs," said Adele Douglass, founder and executive director of HFAC, the Herndon, Va.-based nonprofit organization that certifies companies for their humane animal practices. "Other chains may claim that they care about how farm animals are treated, but Hidden Villa and Wild Oats are confident enough in their practices to become certified by an objective, science-based, third-party certifier."
Hidden Villa Ranch of Fullerton, Calif., supplies all of Wild Oats' branded cage-free and organic cage-free eggs, which are raised on farms in Texas, Iowa, and Washington.
Producer compliance with the HFAC's Animal Care Standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors. Nearly 50 companies have met the requirements for Certified Humane status to date.
HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations, and individuals.
Wild Oats currently operates 113 natural foods stores in 24 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia. The company's banners include Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Henry's Farmers Market, Sun Harvest, and Capers Community Markets.
"This event makes the Wild Oats chain the first in the U.S. to have independent, third-party-validated humane-treatment certification for its branded eggs," said Adele Douglass, founder and executive director of HFAC, the Herndon, Va.-based nonprofit organization that certifies companies for their humane animal practices. "Other chains may claim that they care about how farm animals are treated, but Hidden Villa and Wild Oats are confident enough in their practices to become certified by an objective, science-based, third-party certifier."
Hidden Villa Ranch of Fullerton, Calif., supplies all of Wild Oats' branded cage-free and organic cage-free eggs, which are raised on farms in Texas, Iowa, and Washington.
Producer compliance with the HFAC's Animal Care Standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors. Nearly 50 companies have met the requirements for Certified Humane status to date.
HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations, and individuals.
Wild Oats currently operates 113 natural foods stores in 24 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia. The company's banners include Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Henry's Farmers Market, Sun Harvest, and Capers Community Markets.