What does that “American Humane Certified” label on your chicken really mean? The answer: surprising little.

A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation reveals sickening cruelty to animals at Foster Farms—an American Humane Certified poultry producer—including birds scalded alive and workers throwing, punching, and tormenting chickens before violently shackling them upside down to have their throats cut open.

The shocking undercover video, narrated by TV legend and former host of The Price Is Right, Bob Barker, is some of the most sickening factory farming footage you’ll ever see. In many instances, Foster Farms workers appear to take pleasure in tormenting and abusing animals.

The disturbing video shows:

• Workers punching and tormenting animals before violently slamming them into shackles 
• Workers carelessly throwing baby chicks onto the ground with no regard for their welfare
• Evidence of birds scalded alive in hot water feather-removal tanks 
• Chickens bred to grow so unnaturally fast they often suffer painful leg deformities and other injuries

For over a decade, American Humane Association has been giving its “humane” stamp of approval to some of the cruelest factory farms in North America. In 2013, AHA sank to a new low and started certifying all Foster Farms fresh chicken.

Unfortunately, AHA standards fall far below those of virtually every other humane certification program, and barely exceed even the minimal recommendations set by the factory farming industry itself. The AHA program, which covers more than 1 billion animals in the U.S., is little more than a rubber stamp for some of the cruelest factory farming practices. 

Please join Bob Barker and MFA in calling on American Humane Association to stop certifying blatant animal abuse and to adopt truly meaningful standards to help eliminate some of the worst forms of factory farm cruelty.