Responsible Farming for Safe, Nutritious Meats | Trust is a value present at every Filipino family’s table. RDF Feed, Livestock & Foods, Inc. supports this by providing safe, fresh meats that families can rely on. Through responsible farming, RDF gives customers confidence—at home and in every Fresh Options store.
This care involves attention at each stage—from animal health and welfare to responsible resource use and strict food safety. These practices are part of daily operations, ensuring that every product meets RDF’s standards.
Operating in Central Luzon, Philippines, RDF handles all production stages in-house, from feed milling and animal raising to processing and distribution. This integrated approach keeps a consistent level of care and accountability throughout, providing families with reliable products.
Feed Mill: The First Step in Food Safety
Food safety begins at the feed mill, serving as the foundation of RDF’s integrated system and guiding the next steps in responsible farming.
The feed mill manufactures and delivers high-quality, tested feed only to RDF farms, reducing the risk of cross-contamination. All ingredients and additives are approved, and growth promoters are not used, preparing the way for careful animal care.
Broilers and pigs are fed diets containing up to 60% corn, plus amino acids, enzymes, and antioxidants to support health and reduce antibiotic use. Modern silos maintain a steady feed supply year-round.
Veterinarian-Led Farm Management
A team of veterinarians manages biosecurity, vaccinations, medications, health checks, and genetics. In cooperation with farm managers and nutritionists, they monitor animal health and maintain proper farm conditions. Staff are trained and paid fairly, reinforcing the culture of malasakit (genuine care) that shapes RDF’s farm management.
Protecting Consumers: Responsible Antibiotic Use
Improper antibiotic use can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which may be transmitted from animals to humans. RDF uses antibiotics only when needed and always by veterinary prescription, reflecting a careful approach to animal health and consumer safety. Strict protocols control dosage and treatment time, and withdrawal periods are observed before any animal or product enters the food supply.
Dr. Ronald Dizon, Swine Operations Manager, shares: “We use a first-in, first-out approach. We closely track expiration dates, lot numbers, storage, and antibiotic use. To combat resistance, we choose antibiotics with low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs)—the lowest amount needed to stop bacteria.” Every use is precisely recorded.
This careful approach applies to both swine and poultry, maintaining the same standards across operations.
Dr. Fabienne Luz Balucas, Operations Manager for poultry, follows strict protocols. All treatments and vaccines are carefully documented. Vaccination, balanced nutrition, and targeted supplements maintain flock health. Antibiotics are given only when required.
RDF checks meat for antibiotic residues at slaughter, and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) oversees quarterly testing. This extra step boosts the company’s food safety measures and makes results and certifications available upon request.
How Smart Housing Keeps Broilers Healthy
The company runs 13 broiler farms in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Pangasinan. Good housing is key to RDF’s system. Dr. Balucas notes that poor housing increases stress and lowers meat quality, while smart housing helps avoid these risks and keeps birds healthy.
Around 65% of broiler houses use climate-controlled ventilation to manage temperature, humidity, and airflow, creating a stable setting for the birds. The “no brooding concept” replaces heaters with energy-rich feed and focused climate control to protect chicks from cold stress from day one.
Broiler houses use an “all-in, all-out” system, meaning whole flocks enter and leave together to control disease. Between cycles, houses are cleaned and disinfected, and rest periods are observed before new birds arrive. Sick birds are promptly isolated to protect the flock and maintain production from healthy animals only.
A Fully Integrated Approach to Swine Production
The swine program covers five farms in Central Luzon. Every phase, from breeding and farrowing to grow-out and fattening, is managed in-house. RDF supervises genetics, nutrition, health, and welfare from birth to slaughter, ensuring a reliable, traceable pork supply.
A nucleus breeder farm in Tarlac leads the genetics program, improving sow quality and producing healthier pigs each generation. High-standard housing and a structured system protect animal health from the start.
All buildings are enclosed, bio-secure, and climate-controlled to reduce stress and disease. Automated feeding increases efficiency, and specialized equipment helps detect African Swine Fever (ASF) early.
Farms use a two-site system, with breeding and birth at one location and grow-out at another, which helps reduce disease, improve efficiency, and support food safety. Animal welfare matters to meat quality—stress can harm both. Custom vaccines, regular checks, and quick disease testing keep herds healthy, while sick animals are promptly isolated and treated to maintain standards.
Biosecurity: A Non-Negotiable Line of Defense
Strict biosecurity at every stage is key to RDF’s goal of protecting consumers through safe, humane, and responsible practices.
In broiler operations, only authorized staff can access the farm. Everyone is required to shower and change into farm-issued clothing before entry. Visitors follow strict disinfection procedures for vehicles and equipment. Staff vaccinate birds and monitor chick health at all stages to prevent diseases such as Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease, infectious bronchitis, and coccidiosis.
Swine biosecurity includes in-house disease checks and strict entry rules. All personnel and visitors must shower and change into farm-issued clothing before entering the facility. Outside animals are quarantined to prevent diseases such as ASF. Silo downtime keeps feed silos empty, stopping the ASF virus from spreading between cycles.
Caring for the Environment in Farming
Broiler facilities are designed for efficient manure collection and fly control, which lowers disease risk. Modern manure management and a biogas system turn waste into renewable energy, combining sustainability with practical waste solutions.
Swine operations use a dedicated plant to treat waste, stopping untreated materials from reaching the environment.
Both poultry and swine operations comply with all local environmental regulations. Legal compliance is just the start—RDF invests in biogas, advanced manure management, and wastewater treatment, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability across its farms.
Farms are BAI-certified for Good Animal Husbandry Practice. Assessments are conducted every two years to verify compliance with welfare, food safety, and sustainability standards. Certification renewal is ongoing.
Meeting the World’s Highest Food Safety Standards
RDF’s meat products are protected by strict food safety standards from farm to processing, ensuring the company’s care extends throughout the process.
The feed mill, once ISO 9001:2015-certified, continues to undergo regular audits to maintain its quality management system.
Pork products are HACCP-certified, following the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, an internationally recognized approach to managing food safety risks. Both the slaughterhouse and the meat-cutting plant, which are Class AAA, meet FSSC 22000 standards for international food safety. FSSC 22000 assures families that facilities adhere to high global food safety standards throughout processing and distribution.
These recognitions highlight the company’s dedication to meeting rigorous global food safety requirements across its operations and reinforce the standards outlined above.
RDF is always working to improve. Every update, training, and new technology strengthens its commitment, ensuring Filipino families receive safe, high-quality meat and that trust remains strong throughout the process.
Responsible farming is more than a process; it’s a legacy of trust and care, connecting farm to family and one generation to the next. Guided by food safety, animal welfare, and environmental responsibility, RDF delivers safe, fresh meats that nourish Filipino families and support a brighter future.
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