Fast-Food Giant Caught Making False Claims About How Chickens Are Killed

For Immediate Release:

October 22, 2009

Contact:

Stephanie Corrigan 757-622-7382

Chicago, Ill. -- Today, PETA fired off a letter to Don Thompson, president of McDonald's USA, warning him that PETA will file a formal complaint with both the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau if McDonald's customer service representatives are not directed to stop making false and misleading statements about how the company's suppliers kill chickens.

McDonald's is the target of a PETA campaign to convince the company to adopt a much less cruel slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK). Although many of McDonald's competitors--including Burger King, Popeyes, Quiznos, Chipotle, and Ruby Tuesday--have begun moving toward implementing CAK and McDonald's itself uses CAK in Europe, McDonald's USA has steadfastly refused to make the switch. Yet McDonald's has been telling callers that it is the only U.S. restaurant company actively engaging its suppliers about CAK and that it already uses CAK, which is demonstrably false.

"Chickens continue to suffer broken bones and a terrifying and painful death because McDonald's is too cheap to implement a modern slaughter method," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Misleading advertising is a violation of federal law, so McDonald's better be able to prove the company's claims or correct them immediately."

In CAK, the oxygen that chickens and turkeys breathe is slowly replaced with a nonpoisonous gas mixture that puts the birds "to sleep." As a result, they do not experience any of the pain of live dumping, live shackling, or live scalding. Studies conclude that CAK is the least cruel form of poultry slaughter and that it also improves working conditions by eliminating the chickens' struggles.

For more information, please visit PETA's Web site McCruelty.com.

PETA's letter to McDonald's USA President Don Thompson follows.  

October 22, 2009

Don Thompson

President

McDonald's USA

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I write today to address additional inaccurate comments McDonald's representatives are now making to concerned consumers who call your customer service line.

First, callers are told that McDonald's is the only U.S. restaurant company actively engaging its suppliers about CAK. If McDonald's is, in fact, actively engaging its suppliers on this issue, we would be pleased indeed, because up to now, we have heard nothing but excuses. Please let us know what the truth is. Regardless, McDonald's lags behind several chains who are actually actively pursuing CAK, including Burger King, Ruby Tuesdays, Quiznos, Popeye's, and Chipotle. While most of these companies have fewer resources and are much smaller than McDonald's, they are truly helping the industry to adopt this less cruel form of slaughter.

We've also been told that McDonald's customer service representatives are telling callers that McDonald's is already using CAK. When one caller asked for proof, she was told by the representative that he did not have any but that his supervisor had told him to make this claim. A complaint will be filed with the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission if these statements aren't corrected immediately.

From the statements made by your customer service representatives, it is clear that McDonald's would like to be seen as a company that takes animal welfare seriously. As the largest fast-food company, you have the power not only to give the impression that you care about animal welfare but also to act to show that animal welfare is important to McDonald's. CAK will become the norm in this country as it is in Europe with or without McDonald's. Meanwhile, please advise me that you are directing your employees and contractors not to lie to consumers, and if it is true that you are engaging your suppliers about CAK, please let me know, as we wish to be accurate in what we tell people, and to our knowledge and from your last correspondence with us, that is not the case.

Sincerely, 

Stephanie Corrigan