In an opinion article in the February 7th edition of The New York Times Nicholas Kristof, a distinguished columnist and recipient of two Pulitzer prizes and numerous literary and public service awards took issue with the Costco-owned, Liberty Premium Poultry operation in Freemont, NE. Based on an intrusion video apparently produced by Mercy for Animals, his column alleged deficiencies in welfare based on a single report from an organization that is opposed to all forms of intensive livestock production.
Costco was obviously selected as its iconic $4.99 rotisserie chickens are a feature of the big-box chain with over 100 million birds sold each year. Costco has a record of progressive employment practices and high ethical standards. The Lincoln Premium complex is the most modern in the U.S. and incorporates controlled atmosphere stunning and a high level of automation ensuring bird welfare and acceptable working conditions for employees in the plant.
According to the Mercy for Animals clandestine video, litter quality may have been less than optimal and apparently ammonia was present in the house selected for the intrusion. One should accept that in mid-winter in Nebraska, some ammonia would be present in the early morning hours. There was no indication of the concentration of ammonia, whether 5 ppm or 50 ppm and the duration of a given level above an acceptable standard. In assessing welfare, quantifiable data are important and the level of welfare cannot be determined by subjective impressions from untrained observers, especially if biased against intensive livestock production.
The video was apparently reviewed by John Sullivan, the General Counsel for the Company who opined that the video depicted "normal and uneventful activity". A comment by a disinterested and qualified poultry veterinarian or an experienced PAACO-certified auditor would however have been more convincing.
Mercy for Animals obviously picked Costco based on its prominence and the presumption that the company would be vulnerable to public criticism. As far as consumers are concerned, Liberty Premium Poultry is de facto Costco, and any deficiencies in flock welfare reflect directly on the Costco brand. Mercy for Animals used the reputation of Nicolas Kristof and his intense concern for both human and animal welfare to publicize their cause.
In his article, Kristof reproduced a frequently cited canard that broilers bred for high yield of breast meat and with a high growth rate and feed conversion efficiency are in some way deformed. It is a matter of fact that Costco harvests their flocks at a lower weight than the U.S. average as their market calls for a rotisserie chicken of fairly uniform size selling at a constant price of $4.99, irrespective of the fluctuation in the cost of feed and other inputs.
The article by Kristof will in all probability be forgotten, given current issues including COVID-19, the transition to a new Administration and more newsworthy events relating to Congress and the economy. It is regrettable that Kristof, an award-winning journalist who has used his pen to highlight real problems such as trafficking of minors in Asia, genocide in the Dafur and other examples of inhumanity should have been used by Mercy for Animals. Their intent was to manipulate public opinion and to pressure a company such as Costco to conform to an ever-increasing set of welfare standards based more on sentiment than science. It is also unfortunate that Kristof, renowned for travel and direct and personal investigation did not visit the Lincoln Premium Complex to observe the conditions at first hand.
It would be to the benefit of Costco to engage the services of an independent consultant with experience and Board Certification in Poultry Veterinary Medicine and in Welfare to review management of flocks, training of contractors and supervisors, implementation of established welfare standards and management of ventilation systems during both summer and winter. If any deficiencies in either training or operation are identified, corrective action could be implemented to the benefit of the Costco image.