The Humane League denounces McDonald's Frankenchickens
McDonald's chicken: a treat or a cruel marketing trick? One billion chickens are raised for meat in the UK per year, 95% on intensive farms.
Wednesday, 31st October: Animal protection group The Humane League UK spoke out against McDonald’s treatment of chickens yesterday evening with a Halloween-themed action in Leicester Square.
Activists carved pumpkin chickens outside McDonald’s and distributed leaflets alerting the public to its failure to move away from fast-growing breeds of chicken in their global supply chain.
Pru Elliott, The Humane League UK’s Head of Campaigns, said: “McDonald's treatment of chickens is the real horror show. They still use super-sized frankenchickens, bred to grow to grotesque sizes in a very short period of time. It’s simply unfair that this powerful multinational can profit off its ethical image while inflicting suffering on millions of chickens.”
FACTS: One billion chickens are raised for meat in the UK per year, 95% on intensive farms McDonald’s uses chickens bred to grow unnaturally fast, suffering debilitating injuries and becoming unable to walk under their own weight. McDonald’s positions itself as an industry leader in animal welfare, but fails to take meaningful action for the most numerous farmed animal; chickens raised for meat.
The Humane League UK is asking McDonald’s to publicly sign up to the European Chicken Commitment in the UK and Europe and the North American equivalent.
The European Chicken Commitment introduces essential changes to broiler chicken systems to meet their basic welfare needs, and has been designed by a group of leading animal protection organisations.
The public can support the campaign by signing the petition at www.imnotlovinit.co.uk.
Further images can be found here.
About The Humane League UK The Humane League was founded in the US in 2005, and has been operating in the UK since 2016. The organisation has secured cage-free commitments from over 80 brands in the UK, impacting the lives of millions of hens. It is now working to improve the welfare of chickens farmed for meat, called broiler chickens. Find out more at www.oneinabillioncampaign.com
Media Contact Hannah Yates, Communications Manager 07490073969 hyates@thehumaneleague.org.uk