McD’s Considering Putting Chickens to Sleep
By George Anderson
The animal rights group PETA said it is encouraged by McDonald’s decision to investigate switching to suppliers who use a more humane approach to slaughtering chickens.
The method being investigated is controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) whereby birds are put to sleep. The process is approved for use by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and, according to PETA, McDonald’s already uses suppliers in Europe who use CAK technology.
Anna Rozenich, a spokesperson for McDonald’s, told CNN/Money that the fast food operator is “committed to animal welfare leadership and to working with our suppliers and recognized experts on animal welfare issues.”
Moderator’s Comment: Are restaurants and others who
sell food ethically responsible for the methods used to produce the food (grow,
harvest or slaughter, manufacture) they sell? –
George Anderson – Moderator
Responsible, yes. Solely responsible, no. This is merely one tip of countless icebergs in the area of responsibility/accountability to our environment. Everyone along the chain of consumption and waste needs to take a long hard look at what it means to be just one of 5 million+ species on the planet that is responsible for using up 40% of the resources available to the globe (the other 499 million were never meant to “get our leftovers”…even if they weren’t toxic).