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Food Industry Purchasing Decisions Burger King shifts policy on animals 28 Mar 07, AnimalNet ... In what animal welfare advocates are describing as a “historic advance,” Burger King, the world’s second-largest hamburger chain, was cited as saying yesterday that it would begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates. The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or “controlled-atmospheric stunning,” rather than electric shocks to knock birds unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane method, though only a handful of slaughterhouses use it. Burger King was cited as saying that the goal for the next few months is for 2 percent of its eggs to be “cage free,” and for 10 percent of its pork to come from farms that allow sows to move around inside pens, rather than being confined to crates. The company said those percentages would rise as more farmers shift to these methods and more competitively priced supplies become available. Food marketing experts and animal welfare advocates were cited as saying yesterday that the shift would put pressure on other restaurant and food companies to adopt similar practices. Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic, a food industry research and consulting firm, was quoted as saying, "I think the whole area of social responsibility, social consciousness, is becoming much more important to the consumer. I think that the industry is going to see that it’s an increasing imperative to get on that bandwagon." Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, was cited as saying Burger King’s initiatives put it ahead of its competitors in terms of animal welfare, adding, "That’s an important trigger for reform throughout the entire industry." Temple Grandin, an animal science professor at Colorado State University, was cited as saying Smithfield’s decision to abandon crates for pregnant sows had roiled the pork industry and that decision was brought about in part by questions from big customers like McDonald’s, the world’s largest hamburger chain, about its confinement practices, adding, "When the big boys move, it makes the entire industry move." Steven Grover, vice president for food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance at Burger King, was quoted as saying, "We want to be doing things long before they become a concern for consumers. Like a hockey player, we want to be there before the puck gets there." Mr. Grover was further cited as saying the company would not use the animal welfare initiatives in its marketing, adding, "I don’t think it’s something that goes to our core business." Follow link to read AFAC notes on announcement. |
