Ensuring Safe Meat for Pet Treats

Some people feed their pets better than they feed themselves, which is why the makers of food for dogs hold themselves to the highest quality standards. As a supplier of meat for dog treats, Cargill has gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of their supply chain.

The importance of safety for dog treats was underscored in 2010 when dog treats linked to poultry supply chains in China came under scrutiny. Although pet illnesses were never conclusively linked to poultry from China, consumer confidence was threatened. Dog treat manufacturers began seeking guarantees from suppliers that the meat sourced for family pets would be safe.

Cargill’s animal protein business in China created a groundbreaking poultry supply chain to help ensure safety and traceability to dog treat manufacturers. The operation, managed by Cargill, achieves food safety across the entire poultry supply chain. For instance, the chicken produced not only complies with regulations on antibiotics in China, but also in the United States, ensuring the quality, integrity and legal compliance of Cargill’s product for all pet treat purchasers.

Based in Anhui, China, this fully integrated supply chain is designed to meet high standards for biosecurity and food safety protocols, ensuring responsible sourcing from start to finish. The operation covers every stage of production, including chicken breeding, hatching, raising, feed production, slaughtering and processing. Testing protocol includes analysis of individual batches, third-party product testing four times a year, and annual auditing of the entire integration. Cargill also runs 35 farms strategically located in isolated areas, which prevents potential contamination from other operations.

“We utilize our global safety standards in food, employee safety and environmental management in China at the same levels we operate our business anywhere else in the world.”
—Chris Langholz, President, Cargill Animal Protein in China

The commitment to animal welfare and responsible sourcing for dog treats sourced by Cargill has been well received by NGOs. In 2014, Cargill’s poultry supply chain received the first Farm Animal Welfare Award of China, given by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association and the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation. These organizations support the new, responsible-sourcing strategy and animal welfare commitments of the industry’s top dog food manufacturers, consistently bringing safely sourced treats to market for the world’s pets.