Abuse and Decay Found at Publix’s ‘Humane’ Meat Supplier, Whistleblowers Say

For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Buyer beware. Meat industry insiders are blowing the whistle, reporting cruelty and decrepit, unsanitary conditions at the chicken slaughter company Farmer Focus—a supplier whose products are deceptively labeled “Certified Humane” and marketed as “Animal Welfare Certified,” and sold as such to consumers for a premium at locally based Publix. Two witnesses contacted PETA for help regarding chickens at Farmer Focus suffering from a painful muscle disease triggered by stress that turns body tissue green and being decapitated while they are still conscious, the facility having rotten wood, a collapsing roof, rusted pipes, and black mold, and other disturbing allegations.

One of the whistleblowers also alleged that as chickens approached an automated blade that is supposed to cut their throats, conscious birds struggled frantically, frequently causing them to be slashed on their faces and bodies. Employees often botched the manual cutting of these birds’ throats, and “in many cases,” birds were still alive and aware when their heads were pulled off, according to the insider.

Additional allegations from the whistleblower reports include:

·        Chickens’ wings were frequently bruised and broken, which one whistleblower said was due to rough handling.

·        The facility’s electrical “stunning baths” were improperly managed, causing the birds to suffer prolonged and painful deaths.

·        Mice were seen on the production floor.

·        Workers don’t put enough ice on meat to keep it cool, and some meat products warmed to “way above the allowed limit.” Quality assurance personnel who tagged spoiled meat would be overruled by operations managers who would smell the condemned meat and tell staff, “Just put it on ice, it doesn’t smell bad.”

·        Pieces of metal and plastic—some from broken machinery—were found in meat.

·        So much meat fell to the floor that workers could not pick it up in a timely manner. The establishment allowed meat to be sold to consumers after it lay on the floor in high-traffic areas for more than 15 minutes.

“No one would keep eating chickens if they saw inside slaughterhouses like Farmer Focus, where chickens suffer myriad abuses and filth and decay abound,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Publix and other chains to reconsider their ties with this operation and reminds consumers that the only humane option is vegan.”

PETA has also submitted complaints to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Trade Commission requesting that they conduct full investigations of the facility and the company’s claims and bring all applicable charges for any violations of federal law.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free vegan starter kits for those looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.