10 PETA members including about three Pepperdine students demonstrated outside McDonald’s on PCH this afternoon calling attention to the slaughtering practices that the fast food chain’s suppliers use.
PETA’s campaign called “McCruelty” says the methods used inflict unnecessary suffering in the animals including broken bones live scalding and abuse by workers.
According to the group’s flyers: “PETA is asking McDonald’s to require the use of a less cruel chicken-slaughter method that will be implemented at some slaughterhouses in the U.S. in 2011 and is already being used by some McDonald’s suppliers in Europe.”
Pepperdine senior Jenna Saulnier an intern for PETA who organized the event said the campaign has seen successes. Wendy’s and Carl’s Jr. suppliers in the United States as well as Kentucky Fried Chicken in Canada have started looking to suppliers who practice controlled atmosphere killing Saulnier said.
She said that the more humane slaughtering practices would cost “a few cents more per meal.” Other PETA literature argues that there could actually be some economic benefit to the new practices such as lowering of labor costs.
A video on PETA’s website shows what their hidden cameras have captured inside traditional facilities and at controlled atmosphere killing sites:
Video courtesy of PETA.