Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 2/26/16


Perdue Farms announced today the continued expansion of its no-antibiotics-ever poultry production efforts that are growing the category’s footprint in mainstream retail and foodservice. 

The Salisbury, Md.-based processor said more than two-thirds of its chickens and more than half of its turkeys are raised with no antibiotics ever (NAE), a ramp up in production that has allowed the company to expand the number of NAE products it offers in retail and foodservice to more than 250 collectively.

Perdue announced this week at the 2016 Meat Conference in Nashville that the entire line of Perdue-branded value-added frozen, refrigerated and fresh products — well more than 100 poultry items including heat-and-eat and pre-seasoned products — are now NAE. 

“This means consumers now have mainstream brand NAE choices in every section of the grocery store where they buy poultry — fresh, refrigerated, frozen and deli,” Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung told Meatingplace in an email. “It ensures that consumers do not have to forego the confidence that comes with NAE for convenience, nor will they have to wait years to have access to these products.”

Perdue Farms also announced that the company’s entire line of foodservice turkey products are converting to NAE, meaning that more than 150 NAE menu items now are available to independent operators though foodservice distributors nationwide.
The foodservice turkey items join a complete line of NAE foodservice chicken items distributed under the Perdue Harvestland and other foodservice brands.

“In just a few months, we will take NAE mainstream, moving it beyond select fresh items and niche brands and making Perdue No Antibiotics Ever chicken products available everywhere consumers shop for chicken in the grocery store,” Eric Christianson, senior vice president of marketing and innovation, said in a news release. “The combination of converting our everyday, go-to Perdue products to No Antibiotics Ever, along with our No Antibiotics Ever foodservice offerings, represents a significant transformation in the market. We’re raising the bar on the choices consumers can expect right now.” 

In 2014, Perdue became the first major chicken company to eliminate the routine use of all human antibiotics from every production step. The company eliminated antibiotic use for growth promotion in 2007.

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