Tysons Core Competencies

    Should the thought of catching the virus E. coli make Jimmy jump for joy? No it shouldn’t, which is why we should all pay more attention to our meat industry. Robert Kenner analyzes the food industry, and all of its components. Kenner shows the nation where our food comes from, and how it is produced.

The competitive advantage that Tyson Foods Inc. holds is the large size of the company and its brand equity. As was mentioned before, the amount of market share that Tyson has been able to maintain gives the company an edge over the competition. The fact that Tyson supplied meat products to large franchises such as McDonalds and KFC gives the meat processor stable profits. Brand equity has also strengthened Tyson’s ability to compete in the foods industry. Advertising and promotion expenses for fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $555 million, $496 million and $552 million, respectively. The Tyson brand is well known in the United States and this helps keep the demand for its products high.

Tyson Foods is a company that is one of the worlds leading poultry producers and also provides beef and pork products (Tyson Foods, 2015). Tyson is a company that holds high quality standards and wants to ensure that every product that leaves a Tyson plant has the customer in mind. Tyson has strict codes of ethics that each employee is trained by. Every person that becomes an employee of Tyson goes through a week of training on the guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals and food safety as well as ethical training to other team members. When a new team member has finished orientation training they are then trained for six weeks.When a person starts a new job Tyson wants to be sure they can handle the job and provide a good quality

Have you ever been in a rush, low on cash, and looking for something to eat so you didn’t really have a choice but to grab a burger with fries at your local fast food place? Have you ever paused or stopped to think about where the burger really came from, or the process that went in to be made? The Food Inc documentary investigates and exposes the American industrial production of meat, grains, and vegetables. Robert Kenner the producer of the film makes allegations in this film and he explores how food industries are deliberately hiding how and where it is our food is coming from. He emphasizes that we should find out where our food comes from and why is it that the food industry does not want us to know. Food Inc. does not only uses compelling images, such as hundreds of baby chickens being raised in spaces where they do not see an inch of sunlight, it also includes the speeches and stories of farmers, families, government officials, and victims of the food industry. The four current problems facing today’s food industry are the reformed usage of the false advertisement within the labeling of products , mistreatment of farmed animals, and the harmful chemical in our meats. The documentary Food Inc uses very persuasive tactics that demonstrates strong elements of pathos, ethos, and logos make an effective appeal, while uncovering the dark side of the food industry.

Most people do not take a second thought about where their food came from. Whether it be chicken, steak, or pork, the meat was most likely raised in a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). Hundreds to thousands of animals in horrid conditions from birth to slaughter at these factory farms. While damaging animals, CAFOs also damage the environment and the effects of these farms are worsening, with more farms resorting to these methods. Popular brands using these methods include global producers like Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods. The United States Department of Agriculture defines a CAFO as an Animal Feeding Operation that houses “...more than 1000 animal units...” (nrcs.usda.gov). These “units” are later defined as “...an animal

The company currently has roughly one-hundred-twenty-two-thousand team members, with its headquarter located in Springdale, Arkansas (Tyson Foods, Inc., 2017). Tyson’s purpose is to not only develop a business impact but also to help in the community, they also grow the engagement of the current team members. Tyson aims to be inclusive and value all of its shareholders, customers, team members, and the community. Tyson also operates honorably and provides a safe working environment for its team members (Tyson Foods, Inc.). Tyson Food is eighty-second on the fortune 500 list, and has been on the fortune 500 list for the last twenty-three years. (Time Inc., 2017). Tyson Foods mission statement is “We are dedicated to producing and marketing trusted quality food products that fit today’s changing lifestyles and to attracting, rewarding and retaining the best people in the food industry” (Tyson Foods., 2015). Their well know slogan is “Powered by Tyson”. Tyson Foods claims to have the smartest and brightest leaders, that have the ability to make quick and great decisions to create rapid growth while creating a path for a better future. Some key members of their leadership team are; Tom Hayes the current president and CEO of the company, Stewart F. Glendinning an Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer, Mary Oleksiuk an

Fast and processed food consumers are passive victims of food industry franchises. Such consumers usually purchase these food items, without questioning the cost or the origin. None of us ever stop to think how fresh or hygienic the food is. Does the processing procedure decrease the nutritive value of the food? Were chemicals used in the growing of it and if so is the food then dangerous? Would the food item be cheaper if the advertising, transportation, and packaging costs were excluded? ("Pleasures of Eating - Wendell Berry | Center for Ecoliteracy"). Industry consumers have no inkling the conditions under which these foods were produced; no idea of the type of farms, techniques or impediments that the

Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.

The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 was an attempt to regulate the meatpacking industry and to assure consumers that the meat they were eating was safe. In brief, this act made compulsory the careful inspection of meat before its consummation, established sanitary standards for slaughterhouses and processing plants, and required continuous U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection of meat processing and packaging. Yet, the most important objectives set by the law are the prevention of adulterated or misbranded livestock and products from being commercialized and sold as food, and the making sure that meat and all its products are processed and prepared in the adequate sanitary and hygienic conditions (Reeves 35). Imported meat and its various

The dependence on meat and meat products in the United States is at an all-time high. Despite the great need for healthy and ethical meat, the procedures in meatpacking facilities have not been improved much in the past century. In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser outlines some of the most important facts and realities facing slaughterhouse workers today. The problems with the food can be fixed with chemicals and the like, but the value of human life cannot be improved without the influence of government actions. There are still such injustices to the workers as sexual harassment, injuries that go unnoticed, and horrific treatment of sanitation workers.

Tyson hides behind its officiate brands with names like Hillshire Farms to paint a picture that their animals are raised on grass fields in ruale America, but this is a tactic that is used often to confuse the buyer. Christopher Leonard, a former national business reporter for the Associated Press states in his new book about the meat industry called The Meat Racket “’Even if Tyson did not produce a given piece of meat, the consumer is really only picking between different versions of the same commoditized beef, chicken, and pork that is produced through a system Tyson pioneered’”(Kristof, 1). This causes the American consumer to lose the power to make healthy decisions for themselves and their families in the super market.

Factory farms are becoming safe and humane. Factory farms now focus and the health and the lively hood of the animals being raised. Tyson foods is working on monitoring systems to ensure that things are humane. Tyson foods is focusing on animal’s well-fare to ensure that they raise healthy food. Healthy food mean happy customers and a healthy public. Tyson foods is installing one of the biggest monitoring operations there is. They are trying to keep past mistakes from reoccurring. They insist on not letting past mistakes reoccur. Representative of Tyson foods says they are testing humane ways to slaughter. In doing this they respect the animals in a more proper way and better satisfy the public.

People today believe that the government is supposed to eliminate any possible danger from the food they consume, but that is not the case. In the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of The All-American Meal written by Eric Schlosser, he discusses numerous problems with food production. Some of these issues are discussed in the “Epilogue”, “What’s In Meat”, and “Most Dangerous Job” chapters where Schlosser elaborates on the government’s role and how workers are mistreated. In the article, “U.S. Meatpacking Under Fire: Human Rights Group Calls for Line Speed Reduction, ERGO Standards,” it explains how the working conditions in the meat packaging industry are hazardous and are violations of basic human rights. Although workers are affected by the government’s role in the food industry, consumers are affected as well. The consequences of the lack of governmental oversight, like food contamination and others, are discussed in the film Food Inc. “Escaping the Regulatory Net: Why Regulatory Reform Can Fail Consumers”, an academic journal written by Henry Rothstein, explains how “putting consumers first” is difficult for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to accomplish because with consumer’s interests that means regulatory reforms are most likely going to fail.

There is a large problem of animal cruelty linked to the food industry in the United States. Countless slaughterhouses, chicken farms, and other meat producers have been found guilty of harming animals and killing them inhumanely. This is something that clearly needs to change.

Result: a more consolidated meat industry comprising of companies with sophisticated manufacturing and marketing skills, stronger financial positions, and a focus on building value added brands and market share. The race was thus on for new ideas and promotional support to achieve industry leadership. If Om was to remain on top as one of the leading brands, then investments would be needed on promotion and advertisement as well as in research and development. There was a dire need to align the products with consumer trends and satisfy the target audience’s want for products that were faster and easier to use.