La Quercia, maker of hand-crafted cured meats, recently announced that its pre-sliced Americano prosciuttos are now made with non-GMO pork. This pork follows the guidelines set forth by Global Animal Partnership’s (GAP) 5-Step® animal welfare rating standards. The company noted in its press release that GAP’s audited 5-Step rating program is an effort to promote continuous improvement to the welfare of farm animals and provide shoppers with more information. With this in mind, La Quercia’s Americano line of prosciuttos now bear the GAP Step 3 label, which requires that pigs live in an enriched environment with unrestricted daytime outdoor access, and are handled in a humane and low-stress environment.
“We are proud to purchase a majority of our pork from farmers whose husbandry has been third party audited by GAP’s 5 Step Program,” said Co-Founder Herb Eckhouse. “75% of the pork we currently purchase has been certified by GAP and 53% has been rated Step 3 (Pasture Assisted) or higher. We are always looking for the best quality meat we can find, and this project represents a big step forward in our ability to introduce the finest cured meats produced with humane treatment to animals and minimal environmental impact.”
La Quercia’s cured meats available nationwide that bear the GAP Step 3 and non-GMO verifications include:
In addition to these products, La Quercia has a pasture-raised line called Ridgetop Prosciutto, which is exclusive to Whole Foods. The pork has a GAP rating of Step 4 and is pasture raised outdoors at family farms in Missouri and Kentucky.
The company noted that it has promoted humane and sustainable pork farming since it began more than a decade ago. La Quercia is against confinement, subtherapeutic antibiotic use, and inhumane practices, and requires suppliers to agree to specific protocol. The move toward a third party audited program gives La Quercia and its customers more assurance that humane protocols are being followed.
La Quercia’s pre-sliced prosciuttos can be found nationwide at retailers including Hy-Vee, Kroger, Whole Foods, Murray’s Cheese, and Zingerman’s.
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