Tyson Foods Inc. said Thursday that it has assembled an independent panel to serve as advisers to FarmCheck, the animal-treatment audit program crated by the Springdale-based poultry producer last fall.
The Farm Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel will include a diverse group, which includes animal behavior expert and Colorado State University professor Temple Grandin, members were chosen for "their demonstrated interests across a broad range of issues related to raising farm animals responsibly," Tyson said in a statement.
Panel members will help guide research priorities and suggest ways to improve the audit program, Tyson said.
Besides Grandin, panel members are: Ryan Best, 2011-2012 Future Farmers of America president; Anne Burkholder, cattle feedlot owner; Ed Cooney, executive director of the Congressional Hunger Center; Gail Golab, director of American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Welfare Division; Karl Guggenmos, dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales University at Providence, R.I.; Tim Loula, DVM, co-founder of Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn.; Miyun Park, executive director of the nonprofit Global Animal Partnership; Ashley Peterson, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the National Chicken Council; Richard Raymond, former U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary for food safety; Janeen Salak-Johnson, associate professor in Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at at Urbana-Champaign; Janice Swanson, professor of animal behavior and welfare at Michigan State University; and Bruce Webster, a professor of poultry science at University of Georgia.
"This Advisory Panel is a diverse group of experts who bring valuable perspective on animal well-being. They will help shape the future of the program and ensure its effectiveness," Tyson President and Chief Executive Officer Donnie Smith said.