CASTLE ROCK, COLO. — Where Food Comes From Inc. (WFCF), a third-party verification company for food production practices in North America, announced the adoption of RaiseWell Certified for Beef by Whole Foods Market.
The company recently launched RaiseWell Certified for the beef industry but plans to extend the certification to other species, eventually covering poultry, egg, dairy and pork products.
“RaiseWell Certified reflects what today’s conscious consumers expect and what leading natural retailers are demanding,” said Leann Saunders, president and chief operating officer of WFCF. “We are thrilled that Whole Foods Market now accepts our RaiseWell Certified for Beef certification. It is another indicator of a meaningful shift toward higher, more transparent standards for natural proteins.
“Our program brings together verified animal care, natural raising practices and true traceability in a way that supports both market trust and continuous improvement across the supply chain.”
WFCF said Whole Foods’ backing of the new certification positions it well to meet the evolving expectations of premium natural retailers, foodservice operators and consumers seeking higher standards for animal care, sourcing and supply chain transparency.
“Whole Foods Market has been committed to advancing farm animal welfare for decades,” said Ann Marie Hourigan, executive leader of quality standards for Whole Foods Market. “The addition of RaiseWell Certified for Beef as an approved animal welfare certification offers producers more access to rigorous animal welfare certification options and provides our customers with more high-quality meat choices.”
The new certification requires that animals are raised with strict animal welfare standards at every stage of life, with no antibiotics or added growth hormones ever. The livestock are source-verified back to the farm of origin so that traceability is preserved across the supply chain.
RaiseWell Certified for Beef was developed with input from beef supply chain stakeholders as well as from available science and auditing principles.
The certification paves a way to recognize operations already investing in humane care and responsible production at premium natural retail markets.
“Our co-op has always been committed to continuous improvement while upholding the high standards for people, land and animals,” said C. Tylor Braden, chief executive officer of Country Natural Beef. “This approach allows us to continue delivering all-natural, premium beef while supporting our ranchers and meeting evolving retail expectations. We believe ranchers, shoppers and retailers alike will embrace this evolution.”
RaiseWell Certified helps strategically grow WFCF’s portfolio of third-party verification solutions supporting value-added natural protein markets.
It can be seamlessly integrated with WFCF’s CARE Certified sustainability standard, enabling producers and retailers to bundle claims into a single certification and audit experience.
