ANIMAL WELFARE

OLIVIERI SPA: ANIMAL WELFARE

The cornerstone of the entire production chain is undoubtedly calf husbandry, as only controlled, consistent production can produce a superior-quality product.
Meticulous calf selection upon purchase plays a role of primary importance. We are therefore equipped with a sorting facility (in Goito - Mn) where every week we receive young Italian veal calves which are assessed one by one according to specific corporate standards. The animals selected are weighted and sorted into large, well-lit, ventilated stalls pending shipment to the farms, which always happens on the same day the animals arrived.

All the farms are fully equipped and arranged in strict compliance with current animal welfare legislation. The calves are observed by the group’s technical and veterinary staff throughout the breeding cycle. These operators monitor each individual animal from the moment they enter each farm right up until they leave. Once the cycle is complete, the animals are loaded onto appropriate means of transport and sent to the group’s slaughterhouse in total compliance with current animal welfare legislation. It is important to stress that the farms are located close to the slaughterhouse in order to avoid discomfort caused by long journeys and on arrival at the slaughterhouse the animals wait only very briefly in the stalls, so as to prevent additional stress.

Calves are mainly fed milk and a fibrous solid substance. In terms of milk, we use the traditional powdered milk system as well as the liquid whey feeding system. The solid-fibrous feed is partly made in-house, as the company boasts its own feed mill where the company’s nutritionists and technicians assess the best raw materials to use.

Moreover, again with the calves’ welfare in mind, we have implemented a drug consumption monitoring and inspection system in a bid to cut down considerably on the use of drugs by seeking to use treatment systems based on revolutionary, non-pharmacological products.

We are confident in our belief that continuous investment into improving the farming facilities - to make sure that the animal does not feel part of an intensive growth cycle but is as close as possible to its natural conditions -, the continuous quest for the most innovative and cutting-edge feeding system possible, and our dedication to cutting down on drugs, can guarantee that our meats taste exquisite and have excellent organoleptic properties.