Charges expected today in animal abuse investigation at Hormel supplier

Sheriff confirms arrests will be made

Staff

Originally published 04:26 p.m., October 21, 2008
Updated 10:19 a.m., October 22, 2008

The names and charges of individuals involved in an animal abuse investigation at a Hormel Foods supplier in Bayard, Iowa will be released today, Greene County Sheriff Tom Heater confirmed Tuesday.

“Our investigation, technically, is done,” Heater said. “Believe me — we’re working on it.”

Heater said the sheriff’s department and county attorney’s office, with the help of undercover video footage provided by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has completed their investigation into animal abuse at Suidae Health & Production, L.C., a facility recently purchased by MowMar, LLC of Fairmont, Minn.

Suspects will be arrested and booked after charges are made public today.

Photo by Eric Johnson

Bruce Friedrich, vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, watches video shown to media showing alleged abuse to pigs at a hog facility that contracts with Hormel Foods.

The vice president of PETA, Bruce Friedrich, addressed the alleged hog abuse at Suidae during a press conference in Austin Tuesday, also berating Hormel for not ensuring the manager featured in the video footage was fired. PETA confirmed the manager was still employed at Suidae Monday, and has applauded the sheriff’s department for their work on the investigation.

“The sheriff seems to be taking the situation more seriously than other investigators,” Friedrich said.

Friedrich told media during the conference at AmericInn that Austin-based Hormel does not reply to requests asking for meetings, calling it one of the worst companies to deal with in the food industry.

“We would like to cooperate with them,” Friedrich said. “They are not a company that cares about cruelty to animals.”

Julie Craven, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel, released a statement Tuesday.

“We found the images in the footage from the Iowa farm appalling, and they are inconsistent with our standards and industry standards for animal handling,” Craven stated. “The abuse on the video shows practices that are completely unacceptable.

“We are working with our entire supply chain to ensure proper animal handling procedures are always taking place. We will continue this important practice going forward,” she said.

The alleged abuse was made public following an investigation by an undercover PETA representative from June 10 through Sept. 11 in which video footage documented abuse of pigs by farm employees and management. Abuse included slamming piglets heads on the floor, ramming metal rods up hogs’ rears, stabbing them in the eyes, swearing, kicking and encouraging other employees to take out their aggression on the animals.

The video footage showed Tuesday was a segment of a several-hour long video, said Friedrich, who claims PETA offered the video to Hormel five times and MowMar, four times.

“We did release all of the video and all of the names to the prosecutors,” he said Tuesday, pointing out that PETA has never altered nor been charged with altering video footage of its investigations.

Hormel claims they have not seen the footage released during the press conference.

"We are appalled that PETA representatives not only witnessed incidents of improper animal handling without reporting the abuse, and after several months, have not released all of the video footage,” Craven stated. “If they are truly concerned about animal welfare, they should release information when they obtain it.”

Friedrich said similar investigations have been conducted at companies like Tyson, Smithfield Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, as well as KFC, Burger King and McDonald’s suppliers.

“All of these companies have agreed to meet when we have investigation their farms,” he said. “Hormel is in the lowest rung all by itself.”

Friedrich claims Hormel refused to meet “for more than five years now.”

PETA has devised an eight-point plan for Hormel, which includes an annual audit and phase-out of gestation crates — 2-foot-wide metal crates used for impregnated sows. The crates are banned in three states and widespread throughout Europe, Friedrich said.

Following the investigation report, MowMar and PETA developed a five-point plan, which includes current and future employee training and invitations to animal handling experts to visit the facility. On Sept. 17, one day after the video footage was released, MowMar announced publicly its commitment to righting the situation.

“Diligent investigations into these past activities are ongoing,” MowMar explained in a statement released Tuesday. “It is important that the investigation is allowed to complete its work to ensure that any termination and/or discipline is justified and the rights of employees are respected. In those situations where MowMar can substantiate violations of farm policies or mistreatment of animals, responsible employees have been and will be disciplined or terminated accordingly.”

Friedrich, who has ties to Austin and said he was visiting a grandmother while in town, has been rumored to have one or more relatives who have worked at Hormel Foods.

George A. Hormel was a business partner with Albrect Friedrich at the company Friedrich & Hormel until the late 1800s. When Hormel wanted to expand the business, Friedrich did not, and the partners went separate ways.

Bruce Friedrich said he is aware of the historical documentation at the Spam Museum, but “wasn’t able to track down any genealogy or not.”

“I don’t know of any direct relative who has worked there,” he said, not confirming the reports.

PETA is based in Norfolk, Va. For more information about the organization, or to view the video shown during the press conference, visit www.peta.org.

A Sept. 17 video of Hormel Foods’ food handling statement is available at www.hormelfoods.com/newsroom/animalhandling.html.

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