Kowalski's Beef: Proudly Certified Humane

While farmers, ranchers and producers are the most common applicants to be Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), Kowalski's recently became the first multi-location retailer in the country to have our Naturally Raised USDA Certified Choice and Prime Beef program Certified Humane. This is due in large part to the processes we have in place for segregating the product from supplier through point of sale. Each of our 11 stores were recently individually audited to make sure they were fully compliant to the Humane Farm Animal Care standards for food handlers. Creekstone Farms, who supplies our beef, ensures that their animals are handled compassionately and humanely. Creekstone cattle never, ever receive antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants. They're also fed a 100% vegetarian diet and are source verified to ranch of birth. Animals are hand-selected, pasture-grazed in the Midwest and processed in a plant designed with animal welfare top of mind by none other than Dr. Temple Grandin, one of the world's preeminent experts on animal behavior and humane animal treatment practices.

Because it costs a producer quite a bit of money to be evaluated by HFAC, some (particularly small producers) choose not to apply for Certified Humane designation, even though they may be eligible. But all of Kowalski's meat programs are evaluated to ensure they meet these strict requirements for animal welfare.