Hormel Foods is defending its practices at hog processors against continued accusations from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA sent two undercover investigators to be hired at Hormel supplier MowMar LLP in Bayard, Iowa and document its practices — one from June 10 to Sept. 8, and the other from July 23 to Sept. 11.

Following the release of PETA’s video documentation of alleged animal abuse, 22 charges were filed against six now former employees of MowMar.

The defendants are scheduled for appearances in Greene County court Jan. 22 and 27 and Feb. 12.

PETA released a statement Tuesday claiming that Hormel has not implemented any recommendations for animal welfare improvements.

“To PETA’s knowledge, Hormel Foods … has yet to implement even one of the nine animal welfare improvements recommended by PETA, and the company’s visible reaction to the horrific suffering PETA’s investigators documented last summer in Greene County has consisted of little more than false statements to concerned consumers and the press,” said Dan Paden, PETA research associate, in the statement.

In response to PETA’s accusations, Hormel said Tuesday that the company has implemented a National Pork Board program, Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus, to ensure high production practices.

Bill McLain, manager of external communications, explained that Hormel is “one of the first companies to come out and publicly endorse it.”

“We’ve always been supportive of the Pork Quality Assurance program,” McLain said.

According to a Hormel press release dated Dec. 22: “All hogs it purchases by Dec. 31, 2009 will be raised by pork producers and their employees who are certified in the PQA Plus program. In addition, the company now requires all producers, employees of producers and individuals who transport hogs to the company to have Transport Quality Assurance certification.”

PQA Plus is a three-part process that includes an educational and training session. Its “10 Good Production Practices” include education of proper techniques; using antibiotics responsibly; providing proper swine care to improve swine well-being; maintenance of medication and treatment records; and establishing a herd health management plan.

McLain said that PQA Plus includes a random, third-party evaluation of sites.