Wayne Farms Launches Gap Step 2 Rated Products

New NAKED TRUTH™ Premium Chicken Creates Differentiation on Menus and in the Meat Case

Oakwood, Georgia (PRWEB) Wayne Farms LLC, a leading provider of chicken products to the foodservice industry for more than 60 years, launched its first ever Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 Rated line of premium chicken products, branded NAKED TRUTH™, at the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) Show in Anaheim, Calif. on June 5, 2017. With a lengthy list of restaurants already having joined the “Class of 2024”—referring to the year those restaurants will source product only from suppliers who have implemented the practices recommended under the GAP rating system—Wayne Farms recognized a need for foodservice and retail customers to compete sooner versus later for those consumers who want product grown under the GAP animal welfare rating system.

NAKED TRUTH™ Premium Chicken will differentiate customer menus and drive consumers to seek the brand at their favorite restaurants and grocers, alike. In addition to third-party certification, the brand commits to heightened transparency by providing more information about how chickens are raised and processed, including farm stories and the people behind the products.

“While we are very excited about the new offerings, it’s important for everyone to understand that we are committed to humane care and controlling and managing animal health for all our chickens—not just those that are GAP 2 rated,” said Clint Rivers, chief executive officer for Wayne Farms. “While we will continue to produce all of our birds in accordance with widely accepted production and handling practices, we have selected the GAP rating system as an additional tool to further document and communicate how we produce our chickens for those customers needing that additional validation,” he added.

As compared to its traditionally raised flocks, those sold under the NAKED TRUTH™ line will be raised in houses with lower density and stocking rates; more lighting and added enrichments; and grown to lower weight than typically used in foodservice. Finally, in 2018, birds harvested with the use of controlled atmosphere versus electrical stunning will be available under the NAKED TRUTH™ line of products.

As the Company grows flocks to support this initiative, it will be evaluating the possible impacts on overall flock health. “We are leaving our options open as we start producing birds grown this way,” said Dr. Bryan Miller, vice president of quality assurance and food safety. “We owe it to our stakeholders to ensure that the enrichments we adopt are based on sound science, and that they actually make a positive difference. If we find something that’s beneficial, we will consider applying the practice across our operations,” Miller added.

Starting with one production plant, the company further anticipates expanding capacity for the new offerings as demand increases. The first GAP Step 2 Rated products are expected to ship in September of 2017

About Wayne Farms LLC 
Wayne Farms LLC is the sixth-largest vertically integrated poultry producer in the U.S. with annual sales exceeding $2 billion. A subsidiary of Continental Grain Company, Wayne Farms owns and operates 11 fresh and further-processed facilities throughout the Southeast, produces more than 2.6 billion pounds of poultry products each year, and employs more than 8,900 individuals. Producing products under the brand names of WAYNE FARMS® fresh and prepared chicken; PLATINUM HARVEST® premium fresh chicken; CHEF’S CRAFT® gourmet chicken; and Naked Truth™ Premium Chicken. Wayne Farms has a well-known history of delivering exceptional poultry products to some of the largest industrial, institutional, and foodservice companies across America.