Louisiana Poultry Plant One Of The Worst In The Country

I like chicken. It doesn't matter whether it's fried, baked, broiled, grilled, or barbequed. I especially like hot wings for a Sunday afternoon Saints game. What I don't like is hearing that the chicken I might be eating or preparing for my family might be coming into my home via one of the worst processing plants in the country.

The Pilgrims Pride processing plant in Nachtitoches was listed as one of the nine worst processing plants in the country according to the Farm Sanctuary and the Animal Welfare Institute. Some of the allegations about activities at the plant might turn your stomach and make you think three or four times before eating chicken again.

Pilgrims Pride is responsible for about one fifth of the nations poultry products and that company had three plants listed on the list of nine. One of the practices noted at the Central Louisiana facility was the practice of throwing live birds into sacks with dead birds.

"Where they would dehydrate to death and that was found multiple times.  They also had bad protocols for cold weather which caused many animals to freeze to death."

Bruce Friedrich is director of policy for the Farm Sanctuary and his comments were included in a story published by the Louisiana Radio Network.  He went on to say that the company has addressed the issues that were raised in the report and made voluntary corrective actions.  Friedrich believes that this actions are an improvement but they are not enough to insure that the company adheres to state and federal guidelines.

"They should be significantly sanctioned under the Poultry Products Inspection Act and this illegal activity should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."