For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2008

Contact:
Matt Prescott 757-622-7382

Currently, chickens killed for Brinker are dumped onto conveyors and hung upside-down by their legs in metal shackles, which often causes broken bones. The birds' heads are run through electrified baths that painfully shock and paralyze them without rendering them insensible to pain, and they are still conscious when their throats are cut. Many birds are scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

Studies conclude that in addition to being the least cruel form of poultry slaughter, CAK improves working conditions and meat yield and quality. CAK also reduces labor costs and the potential for contamination.

Fast-food giants Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardee's, and Wendy's are now giving purchasing preference or consideration to suppliers that use CAK.

"Having its name linked to tortured, crippled chickens who are scalded to death spells trouble for Brinker's bottom line," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. "Consumers care about animal welfare, so it's in Brinker's best interests to switch to a less cruel slaughter method."

For more information, please visit PETA.org/cak. PETA's shareholder resolution to Brinker International follows.

Shareholder Resolution Regarding Poultry Slaughter

WHEREAS, on its Web site, Brinker International, Inc. ("Brinker"), makes no mention of bird welfare policies or standards; and

WHEREAS consumers consider animal welfare when making dining choices, which is why many of Brinker's competitors have animal welfare policies and are particularly committed to improving conditions in their poultry suppliers' slaughterhouses; and

WHEREAS Brinker purchases all its poultry from suppliers that use a cruel and inefficient method of slaughter called "electrical immobilization," in which the birds are paralyzed with an electric current, have their throats slit while they are still conscious, and are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water (often while they are still alive); and

WHEREAS there is a better, U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved method of poultry slaughter called "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK), which replaces the oxygen that birds are breathing with inert gases, gently and effectively putting them "to sleep"; and

WHEREAS a report commissioned by McDonald's ("the report") concurred that CAK is, as animal welfare experts have described it, the least cruel method of poultry slaughter available and found that it "[1.] has advantages [over electrical immobilization] from both an animal welfare and meat quality perspective … [2.] obviates potential distress and injury … [and 3.] can expeditiously and effectively stun and kill broilers with relatively low rates of aversion or other distress"; and

WHEREAS the report further concludes that McDonald's suppliers that use CAK have experienced improvements in bird handling, stunning efficiency, working conditions, and meat yield and quality; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that to advance both Brinker's financial interests and the welfare of birds supplied to its restaurants, shareholders encourage the company to give purchasing preference to chicken suppliers that use or switch to CAK.