Cargill, Minneapolis, unveiled its world-class integrated poultry operation in Lai’an Anhui, China.

The fully-integrated project covers each stage of the poultry supply chain, including chicken breeding, raising, feed production, hatching, slaughtering and processing. Cargill incorporated its state-of-the-art technologies and innovations in food safety, poultry breeding, animal nutrition, disease prevention, environmental protection and energy saving into the project. The facility has the capacity to process approximately 65 million chickens per year, as well as 176,000 metric ton of poultry products per year. Total investment for the project is approximately $250 million.

The project, initiated in 2009, is a part of Cargill’s continuous effort to support the modernization of agriculture and food safety in China. In this project, Cargill utilized its global expertise to build an integrated supply chain and food safety management system. Based on the Codex Alimentarius and ISO 22,000 principles, food safety systems include well written and implemented Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs supported by strong foundational programs such as sanitation for processing equipment, proper personal hygiene, pest control, maintenance, product labeling, traceability and other key programs implemented across the business. Cargill also will apply innovative environmental and energy efficiency management systems that meet all applicable environment regulations in wastewater treatment, waste disposal and emission control.

“We are committed to being a valuable partner with the local poultry industry. We will utilize our global safety standards in food, employee safety and environmental management in China at the same levels we operate our business anywhere else in the world,” says Chris Langholz, president of Cargill Animal Protein China. “We believe that applying our global expertise to local circumstances will help the industry and provide more confidence for Chinese consumers. We wish to thrive together with China and help ensure the sustainable growth of China’s poultry industry.”

The project will provide employment to around 4,000 people in the next few years.