In an effort to ensure that animals are raised in the right way for better food production, the American Humane Certified(TM) farm animal welfare program today announced it will launch an online Humane Care Training Program for food producers to use in educating employees, growers and contractors who handle animals. The training will complement and expand American Humane Certified’s existing national program of auditing and certifying the humane handling of animals raised for food.

The new training program will begin testing in the spring of 2009, and should be available for widespread use by food producers in July 2009. The training will be required as a key component of American Humane’s certification process. It will feature easy access and clear, comprehensive lessons for anyone working in direct contact with animals. Every species will have its own training module that incorporates video and graphics to demonstrate key points. It will be the first humane training curriculum offered to producers and employees to demonstrate and reinforce science-based and compassionate animal welfare standards.

For large food-service companies, the training will illustrate a significant, socially responsible undertaking, especially as they require their employees and independent suppliers and growers to be trained in humane care and animal welfare standards. Other users likely will include universities and government agencies dealing with agriculture, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(Source) Press