American Humane Certified Farm Animal Program to Develop Humane Livestock Transport Standards

Research on Next Generation Humane Transportation Will Be Monitored
DENVER--(Business Wire)--
The nation`s leading animal-welfare monitoring and humane-labeling program for
food products - American Humane Certified -- will convene a panel of experts in
animal handling, animal science, veterinary medicine and
transportation-equipment manufacturing to develop improved welfare standards for
design, technology and monitoring of livestock transportation. The livestock
transportation equipment that meets the standards will be recognized with the
American Humane Gold Award.

American Humane Certified will begin monitoring the research and testing of a
new humanely designed trailer recently introduced at the World Pork Expo in Des
Moines, Iowa. Advanced Livestock Transport (ALT), a new livestock trailer
company based in Spain, has imported its first trailer into the United States
for introduction to the American pork industry, as well as other species that
are transported by truck. ALT is the first transport company to sell equipment
in North America that complies with European Union (EU) regulations on animal
welfare.

The research on the ALT trailer will be conducted by Texas Tech University,
under the direction of John McGlone, Ph.D. Among data to be tracked are the
rates of dead on arrival, and non-ambulatory and non-injured pigs compared to
other transportation equipment designs. ALT has engineered temperature controls
designed to reduce the rate of dead and downed pigs. The research is expected to
be completed and published by late 2009.

The certification of transportation equipment is a reintroduction of American
Humane`s historic "Gold Award" for humanely-designed transportation equipment.
It was first awarded in 1887 to the A.C. Mather Co. for its improved cattle rail
car. Over the decades, American Humane has worked closely with the livestock and
transportation industries to develop humane methods and equipment that improve
animal welfare during transport. More historical information can be found at
http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/who-we-are/history/farm-animals.html.

"American Humane has been involved in creating more humane conditions for
animals in transport since our founding in 1877," said Tim Amlaw, director of
American Humane Certified. "It is fitting that we revisit our legacy and once
again recognize humane practices in the transportation of livestock."

Upon completion of the livestock transportation standards and in-depth review by
the American Humane Certified Scientific Advisory Committee, the standards will
be publicly available on American Humane Certified`s web site,
www.thehumanetouch.org.

American Humane
Kelley Weir, 303-925-9418
kelleyw@americanhumane.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009