Denver (December 4, 2008)

The American Humane Certified farm animal program announced that Delimax, one of North America’s premier integrated veal producers, has been certified under the program using American Humane’s new three-tiered auditing system. The certification applies to Delimax grain-fed veal, which is processed, sold and marketed by its partner, Montpak International.  

American Humane Certified is America’s first animal-welfare program dedicated to the humane treatment of farm animals. It is the fastest growing, third-party independent animal-welfare label program in the U.S. Delimax is the first veal producer and the first Canadian company to be certified by American Humane, a 131-year-old organization that has helped lead the humane movement in the U.S. 

“Delimax has developed operating procedures, production and processing facilities for grain-fed veal that meet our rigorous animal-welfare standards,” said Tim Amlaw, director of American Humane Certified.  “The result is a high-quality, natural veal product which, most importantly, has been raised and handled humanely.”  

“We have always seen ourselves as a leading-edge veal producing company. We look to the future and constantly look to see where we can improve,” said Fabien Fontaine, Delimax president. “Delimax continues to invest in modern barns and methods to improve animal welfare. The barns are designed to be spacious and well-ventilated with automatic feeders, providing continuous nutrition to ensure living conditions that are stress-free for our calves.” 

Delimax and Montpak International’s partnership brought together two family-owned and quality-driven companies. Being in the industry, both partners were interested in finding how they could increase the consumption of veal, a very lean and healthy meat. They discovered that a boycott had begun 20 years ago in the U.S. market after consumers were shown how calves were treated by some producers. As a result, sales of U.S. veal plummeted.  

“Montpak International is a forward-looking company,” said Harvey Buksbaum, president of Montpak International. “We don’t just focus on selling products to our clients. We also try to understand their needs and those of their clients and users in both retail and food service. We know that one of the things that has affected the consumption of veal is the perception of how calves are raised and handled. The strength of Delimax is they had already addressed animal welfare in their operations and were very close to meeting certification standards.”

“We are very proud to offer humanely raised grain-fed veal and we believe that it will appeal to many people who may not have experienced eating this flavorful meat,” he said.   

The three-tiered audit system developed by American Humane Certified consists of on-site audits, observation of production data on a frequent basis through a proprietary online reporting system, and remote real-time video monitoring of the barns, transportation areas and processing facility.   

The new audit process is known as “True Humane Tracking”™ by American Humane. The video monitoring capability was developed for American Humane Certified by Denver-based HS3 Technologies, Inc., a security solutions developer, integrator and provider. All video is securely transmitted to the HS3 monitoring center, and qualifying welfare events are relayed to both the producers and American Humane to ensure the high standards of the program are maintained. 

The online reporting component was developed by CDC Software to ensure transparency, accountability, consistency and dependability in animal welfare. The exclusive audit process not only measures welfare compliance more frequently than annual audits, but also provides important continuous education and improvement opportunities for producers and manages  risk. 

American Humane’s online reporting feature utilizes small, handheld computers that producers use for regular reporting from the field. Data is sent to American Humane to be evaluated for variances or problems. Issues are communicated promptly to producers for quick assessment and correction. American Humane Certified independent auditors will also use the system for annual audits of producers’ facilities. 

Online reporting and video monitoring systems are being installed in numerous facilities with other species during the beta testing phase. The True Humane Tracking system is expected to be in full use for all American Humane Certified producers and all species by the middle of next year. 

A sample of online video monitoring of Delimax is available upon request to kathib@americanhumane.org at American Humane Certified. 

About American Humane Certified
American Humane Certified is the United States’ first animal-welfare program dedicated to the humane treatment of farm animals. It is the fastest growing, third-party independent animal-welfare label program in the U.S. More than 50 million farm animals have been certified by American Humane’s science-based program. American Humane auditors are rigorously trained in the American Humane Certified species-specific standards and are certified by the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization (PAACO). As consumers and retailers are increasingly concerned about how food is raised, producers are seeking independent verification for the marketplace. American Humane Certified believes animal welfare should not only be good for animals but also economically viable and feasible for producers. American Humane Certified works with agriculture to educate and motivate producers and demonstrate the economic and social benefits of animal welfare. American Humane Certified works closely with its independent Scientific Advisory Committee, industry professionals and producers to ensure that industry advancements and best practices are part of American Humane certification standards. Based on American Humane’s 131-year legacy of being the gold standard for humane behavior, consumers trust the American Humane Certified label. Learn more at www.thehumanetouch.org.  

About Delimax and Montpak International
The Delimax and Montpak International partnership offers a vertically integrated company from “farm to fork.” Founded in 1989, Delimax Veaux Lourds Ltee is a Quebec-based enterprise specialized in the production of veal with interests in feeding, slaughtering, transportation, research and development services.  Delimax has become a leader in this industry in North America. Working with a highly qualified team of producers, veterinarians, agronomists and agricultural technologists, Delimax applies rigorous standards to maintain quality in all the many services they offer.  Founded in 1959, Montpak International is a quality-driven company offering fresh, frozen and value-added veal products. They offer a full range of milk and grain-fed veal products to food retailers, foodservice distributors, further processors and end-users.  Montpak International operates federally inspected and HACCP-accredited processing plants in Montréal and Sainte-Angèle-De-Prémont, and a federally inspected HACCP-accredited slaughter facility in St. Germain, Québec.  Montpak’s expertise is to provide veal solutions that are cost effective and fully customized. Together Delimax and Montpak International form one of the largest, vertically integrated veal operations in North America, focused on strict quality control and safety.

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