OAKWOOD, GA. –Atlanta, Georgia-based chicken producer, Wayne Farms LLC announced an expansion of Halal-compliant, frozen chicken product offerings for foodservice, deli, retail and club customers in conjunction with Crescent Foods, a known leader in the Halal market segment. The product offerings include a boneless skinless chicken breast fillet, which is immediately available at east coast Costco Wholesale stores and becoming available in Midwest Costco Wholesale stores in October, as well as other fully cooked and par fried items. The Crescent Foods brand means the products are produced in accordance with the highest Halal standards through practices and attributes that go above-and-beyond requirements for conventional Halal offerings.
Many conventional Halal products permit mechanical slaughter of chickens; the inclusion of animal by-products in feed; antibiotic use; and do not require animal welfare certification.
Instead, premium Crescent Foods chicken products feature practices which expand standards to include:
- Hand-slaughtering of each chicken;
- Chickens fed a 100% vegetable and grain diet;
- No animal by-products in feed;
- No antibiotics ever;
- Humane animal care verified, annually, by an independent third party.
“Flexibility and collaboration in creating an amazing chicken experience for all of our customers has never been more important,” said Tom Bell, vice president of prepared foods for Wayne Farms. “Offering ‘choice’ is part of our DNA, and we’re proud of our proven ability to scale-up and expand Halal offerings that meet and exceed stringent quality standards set by Crescent Foods—a well-known and highly regarded leader in their industry.” Bell concluded.
In addition to stringent quality standards, expanded slaughter and harvesting practices at two processing plants located in Alabama ensure that finished products feature desirable ‘clean’ attributes such as All Natural (no artificial ingredients and minimally processed); and no preservatives, MSG, coloring agents or fillers.
To bring a variety of choices to those customers and consumers seeking Halal-compliant chicken offerings, nationwide, the following products are immediately available to all foodservice, deli, retail and club customers:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Five-pound, resealable gusseted bag for easy freezer storage
- Available for foodservice and retail
- Frozen individually—not in bulk
- Young, tender chicken
Fully Cooked, Crescent-Shaped Chicken Nuggets
- Three-pound bag, resealable gusseted bag for easy freezer storage
- Available for foodservice and retail
- Formed product with natural, authentic shape
- 100% all white meat
Par-Fried Breaded Chicken Tenders
- Three-pound bag, resealable gusseted bag for easy freezer storage
- Available for foodservice and deli
- 100% all whole-muscle white meat
Par-Fried Breaded Chicken Chunks
- Three-pound bag, resealable gusseted bag for easy freezer storage
- Available for foodservice and deli
- 100% all whole-muscle white meat
Foodservice and Retail Support
Support for foodservice and retail sales include in-store demos, community sponsorships, an e-newsletter, social media, coupon and point-of-sale options, advertisements, industry trade events; and local, national and trade communications. Merchandising and sales support are also available.
About Wayne Farms LLC
Wayne Farms LLC is the seventh-largest vertically integrated poultry producer in the U.S. with annual sales exceeding $2 billion. A subsidiary of Continental Grain Company, Wayne Farms owns and operates 11 fresh and further-processed facilities throughout the Southeast, produces more than 2.6 billion pounds of poultry products each year, and employs more than 9,000 individuals. Producing products under the brand names of WAYNE FARMS® fresh and prepared chicken; PLATINUM HARVEST® premium fresh chicken; CHEF’S CRAFT® gourmet chicken; NAKED TRUTH® premium chicken; and LADYBIRD SELECT™ premium chicken, Wayne Farms has a well-known history of delivering exceptional poultry products to some of the largest industrial, institutional, and foodservice companies across America.
About Crescent Foods
Crescent Foods was founded in 1996 to bring healthy, humanely processed Halal chicken to America’s dinner tables. Today, Crescent Foods is the largest provider of premium quality Halal poultry and meat products across the United States. It prides itself on its ability to offer choice through a variety of meat and poultry cuts, products, and packaging options to retail stores, restaurants and institutions. Crescent Foods’ commitment to the highest Halal standards, state-of-the-art production processes, use of technology, distribution, product development and service helps the company remain at the industry forefront in North America and globally.
