LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestlé, the
world's largest food and beverage company, pledged today to end
many of the worst abuses endured by millions of chickens raised and
slaughtered in its U.S. supply chain.
Nestlé USA's animal welfare
policy will meet standards set by Global Animal Partnership (GAP),
an international animal welfare rating program, which include the
following:
- Ending the use of lower-welfare breeds, as these chickens are
bred to grow so big, so fast that many collapse under their own
weight and can't even walk without pain
- Ending extreme crowding and providing each chicken more floor
space
- Keeping chicken litter clean enough to prevent eye sores, flesh
burns, and respiratory distress
- Improving lighting standards, including at least six hours of
darkness each night and sufficient light during the day to decrease
illness and disease
- Ending live-shackle slaughter in favor of the less cruel method
of controlled-atmosphere stunning, which eliminates the suffering
caused by shackling, shocking, and slitting the throats of
conscious animals
The new policy, which follows discussions with Mercy For
Animals, will be implemented in full by 2024. With this
announcement, Nestlé USA joins
other major food manufacturers that have issued similar
commitments, including General Mills, Unilever, and Campbell, as
well as leading chain restaurants, including Subway, Burger King,
Chipotle, Quiznos, and Panera Bread.
"Nestlé USA has taken a big
step toward ending many of the worst forms of animal abuse in the
factory farming industry," said Brent
Cox, vice president of corporate outreach with Mercy For
Animals. "This new policy will significantly reduce suffering for
millions of animals each year. The days are numbered for the
factory farming industry's cruelest practices. It is time for
companies like Wendy's to stop dragging their feet and follow
Nestle USA's lead in implementing
much-needed animal welfare improvements for their supply
chains."
The best way for individual consumers to protect chickens and
other farmed animals from cruelty is simply to leave them off their
plates. To learn more about Mercy For Animals and its efforts to
help farmed animals, visit MercyForAnimals.org.
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SOURCE Mercy For Animals