BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Feb. 28, 2018 (PRNewswire) — Applegate, the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, filed a declaration in federal court in support of a lawsuit demanding that the United States Department of Agriculture enact the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule.
"We believe in an organic label that stands for something, and the delay and obstruction by the USDA in refusing to enact widely agreed-upon protections for the treatment of animals is eroding people's confidence in the organic seal and hurting the industry," said Gina Asoudegan, Vice President of Mission and Innovation Strategy for Applegate.
Applegate's filed the declaration to support the lawsuit brought by the Organic Trade Association in September 2017 against the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its failure to put into effect new organic livestock standards. Applegate, an OTA member, also donated $25,000 for the suit's legal fund. The lawsuit challenges the ongoing delay in implementing this very important rule and asks the court to declare the delays unlawful and void.
"Applegate requires high animal welfare standards — not only for organic — but also our natural line," said Asoudegan. "Yet, we compete at shelf with brands who have an organic label, but only minimal animal welfare standards. This is a disservice to the consumer and other companies who are walking the talk."
About Applegate
For 30 years, Applegate has been producing high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients and we source our meat from farms, where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission - Changing The Meat We Eat®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means that the meat inside our products are:
- From animals raised humanely without antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants
- From animals fed a vegetarian or 100% grass diet
- Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates
- Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives
Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015.