LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, January 27, 2003 (ENS) - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has launched a worldwide boycott of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants, charging the chain with failing to take action against cruelty to chickens.

KFC is the animal welfare organization's latest target, following successful campaigns against fast food companies including McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, all of which agreed to take steps to reduce cruel treatment of animals raised and slaughtered for food.

Chickens in slaughterhouse
(Photo credit unknown)

PETA launched the campaign January 7 by unveiling new "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" posters, leaflets and stickers, and will show broadcast quality footage of abusive animal treatment by KFC suppliers.

PETA attempted to negotiate with executives at Yum! Brands, which owns KFC, for 21 months prior to the campaign launch, but despite assurances made by senior vice president Jonathon Blum that KFC would "raise the bar" on animal welfare, the company refused to eliminate the worst abuses, PETA says.

On the KFC website at: http://www.kfc.com/, the company states that Yum! Brands is "committed to ensuring the humane treatment of animals."

"For this reason, KFC has established a system to ensure that the very best conditions are maintained and appropriate procedures are followed at all our suppliers' facilities," the website states.

"As a major purchaser of food products, we have the opportunity, and responsibility, to influence the way animals are treated," the company says. "We take that responsibility very seriously, and are working with our suppliers on an ongoing basis to make sure the most humane procedures for caring for and handling animals are in place. As a consequence, we only deal with suppliers who maintain the very highest standards and share our commitment to animal welfare."

Among the improvements that PETA wants KFC to implement are:

• replacing electric stunning and throat slitting with gas killing
• phasing out the forced rapid growth of chickens, which causes metabolic disorders and lameness
• increasing the space allotted per bird
• adding minimal enhancements, such as sheltered areas and perches in order to provide chickens with a more natural environment
• implementing automated chicken catching, a process that reduces the high incidence of bruising, broken bones, and stress associated with catching the chickens by hand.

"KFC has shortchanged the chickens, leaving us no choice but to turn up the heat," said PETA director of vegan outreach Bruce Friedrich. "McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's responded to consumer pressure. KFC would do well to follow their lead."

For more information, visit: http://www.kfccruelty.com/ Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2003. All rights reserved.