American Humane Association Announces Joy Mench, Ph.D., Joins the Scientific Advisory Committee of the American Humane Certified® Farm Animal Program

DENVER, July 9  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Humane Association announced today that Joy Mench, Ph.D., has joined the Scientific Advisory Committee for its farm animal welfare program, American Humane^® Certified. Dr. Mench is a professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis and is director of the Center for Animal Welfare at UC Davis.

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Dr. Mench has served on numerous committees and boards related to farm and laboratory animal welfare, including the animal welfare advisory committees of Maple Leaf Farms, the United Egg Producers, McDonald's, Safeway, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, as well as National Research Council committees on animal biotechnology and the use of mammals in neuroscience and behavioral research. In addition, she is involved with the Livestock Welfare Working Group of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE); the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization expert committee on capacity building to implement good animal welfare practices; and the Council on Accreditation of the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.

Dr. Mench chaired the revision of the first revised edition of the Federation of Animal Science Societies' Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching, and has served as a section editor for the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science and Animal Welfare. She was president of the International Society for Applied Ethology from 1998-2000, was previously a member of American Humane Certified's Scientific Advisory Board, and is currently a scientific advisor to the European Union's Welfare Quality Assurance project and a member of the Broiler Welfare Guidelines Working Group for the OIE.

"Joy Mench brings a global perspective of animal welfare and vast experience with poultry to our committee of distinguished animal scientists," said Tim Amlaw, vice president of the farm animal welfare program of American Humane.

Dr. Mench is the recipient of the Humane Society of the United States' Animals and Society Teaching Award (2001), the Poultry Science Association's Poultry Welfare Research Award (2004), and the University of California, Davis Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award (2007).

American Humane created the original third-party certification of farm animal welfare program in the United States. Its label, American Humane Certified, is the fastest growing welfare certification program in the country, with more than 60 million animals under its welfare umbrella. It certifies over 85 percent of all cage-free egg production in the U.S. and just recently announced that it has certified the first enriched colony housing system installed in California. American Humane will launch its online humane care training for laying hens targeted to farm workers and managers, as well as educators. For more information, visit www.thehumanetouch.org.

About American Humane's Certification Program

American Humane's farm animal program is the United States' first animal-welfare program dedicated to the humane treatment of farm animals. It is the fastest growing independent animal-welfare label program in the U.S. American Humane has certified producers representing more than 60 million farm animals through American Humane's program. American Humane auditors are rigorously trained in the American Humane science-based species-specific standards. As consumers and retailers are increasingly concerned about how food is raised, producers are seeking independent verification for the marketplace. American Humane believes animal welfare should be not only good for animals but also economically viable and feasible for producers. American Humane works with agriculture to educate and motivate producers and demonstrate the economic and social benefits of animal welfare. American Humane 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's certification standards. Based on American Humane's 133-year legacy of being the gold standard for humane behavior, consumers trust the American Humane Certified label. Learn more at www.thehumanetouch.org.

SOURCE American Humane Association