BOCA RATON, Fla. — Research by the largest fast-food hamburger chain, McDonald’s, shows the No. 1 concern among its customers is that animals be “humanely raised,” said its global animal health and welfare officer last week.

Bruce Feinberg participated in the Food Dialogues dairy forum sponsored by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. A veterinarian and members of the dairy sector and the American Humane Assoc. (AHA) joined in the discussion. For the past eight years, McDonald’s has developed objective measures for animal treatment, Feinberg said.

“Consumers have a different set of expectations. They are communicating with McDonald’s like never before. This is driven by Millennials. Animal welfare is front and center,” he explained.

The panelists agreed animal welfare is important because of a “moral imperative;” however, it was stated farmers also have an economic incentive to treat their animals well.

“A comfortable cow is a cash cow,” said Dr. Marcia Endres, veterinarian and professor of dairy science at the University of Minnesota. She said research shows relaxed cows provide more quality milk than stressed animals, making it an economic incentive for farmers.

President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), Jim Mulhern, said 15,000 farmers have gone through the NMPF animal care program. Their farms provide 80 percent of the U.S. milk supply, and he would like to see participation climb to 90 percent.

“This is an industry-wide commitment that demonstrates to consumers our care for animals,” Mulhern said. “If you don’t care for animals properly, you’re not going to be in business long-term.”

Endres said the dairy producers she knows love animals and understand the benefits of caring well for them. Based on university research, Hilmar Jerseys uses waterbeds for its cows to improve their comfort, said Chuck Ahlem, dairy farmer from Hilmar, Calif.

“The bigger cows have issues with the waterbeds, so they use compost beds,” Ahlem said. “We also try to have less people in the dairy barns so we don’t disturb the cows. We use a rotary barn, and the cows fight to get on the platform to be milked.

“We are listening to the cows to figure out what the cow wants. Thirty years ago, we didn’t listen so well. We thought we had to move them the way we did. Now we train employees on cow handling.”

Much discussion centered on whether videos showing abuse of animals show widespread problems. “There is great frustration among dairy farmers when we see these videos. It’s such an aberration from the majority. Abuse is a crime,” Mulhern said.

Leprino Foods has new strict standards for dairies that are caught on camera abusing animals, said its senior vice president, Mike Reidy. “Social media has changed the speed at which information travels ... We can’t communicate after an incident happens. We have to communicate in advance,” he said.

He said his company was not well-prepared for past events. Feinberg added, “We had our own crisis in China. We need to educate those in daily contact with animals. It’s hard to give global guidance; we are in 100-plus countries.”

The AHA awards an “American Humane Certified” label on products from farms that meet its standards in raising and handling animals. “The definition of humane should be science- and evidence-based practices, not emotion,” said Robin Ganzert, AHA president and CEO.

“There is a grand disconnect between consumers and farmers, but it’s a wonderful opportunity for dialogue like this.”

The video of the dairy forum can still be viewed at www.fooddialogues.com