What are the eleven spices and herbs that contribute to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s deliciousness? Only a handful of people know because today the recipe is protected by some pretty detailed security precautions. KFC originated in Corbin, Kentucky and was created by Colonel Sanders, who was born September 9th, 1890 in Indiana. After years and years of hard work, the restaurant became what it is today.
What is the restaurant today, you ask? I’d be happy to enlighten you. There are over 15,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries around the world, serving some eight million customers each day. Those customers will consume more than 900 million pounds of chicken this year from the world’s largest chicken restaurant chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken (1).
A lot of people have their made up ideas about what goes on behind the scenes at fast food restaurants such as KFC, and how the animals are being treated and that is why I will be showing you the humane efforts that KFC conducts.
Attacks On KFC
Over the years, KFC has suffered from attacks by many animal rights groups. Please keep in mind that KFC is a company that does not operate any poultry farms or facilities and purchases their chickens from the same trusted brands that consumers buy from in local supermarkets. In the year 2004, an animal rights group released a video showing slaughterhouse workers from one, out of a couple, suppliers of KFC, the Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, jumping up and down on live chickens, drop-kicking them like footballs and slamming them into walls. After the KFC Corporation saw the tape, they immediately said that they would seek dismissal of those workers, inspect the slaughterhouse more often and end their relationship if the cruelty were to happen again (2). It would be a big deal for KFC to end its relationship with one of its suppliers, considering that, as I stated before, they purchase more than 900 million pounds of chicken per year.
KFC has also suffered from attacks by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters (3). Because of this, KFC established animal welfare guidelines
for vendors who supply KFC with chickens. Yum! Brands, KFC’s parent, and franchiser, stated, “PETA’s objective is not to improve animal welfare, but to eliminate meat, poultry, and other food of animal origin from the human diet”. They also stated: “PETA is attempting to mislead the public with an outdated and questionable video on chicken production … The system shown is no longer in use in our industry … Only the sharp tip of the beak is removed (on some male birds to prevent injury to other birds), not the large portion as shown in the outdated PETA video. Precision laser technology is rapidly replacing blade systems” (4). Even if KFC suppliers were to keep chickens in posh coops, raise them on gourmet foods and gently euthanize them, PETA would still label the treatment inhumane. PETA’s goal is to stop KFC from selling chicken for consumption.
To discuss the issue with KFC, PETA wrote a letter to KFC’s President Cheryl Bachelder and had several meetings with KFC management. KFC was accused of using “inadequate industry standards”, and dealing with chickens very brutally. Because of the people’s pressure, along with PETA’s, KFC issued a statement from its website saying that “KFC is committed to well being and humane treatment of chickens”. KFC also defended itself by stressing that it follows animal welfare guidelines. Four months after start of PETA’s campaign against KFC, KFC spokesperson promised that “just like the United States government we will not negotiate with corporate terrorist”. KFC stood firm as campaign moved into its second year as PETA attempted to boycott KFC and neither KFC nor Yum’s sales were affected. KFC’s actions in regard to these accusations were that it brought together an Animal Welfare Advisory Council, it started unannounced audits of growers and slaughterhouses, and worked with people that were developing new poultry welfare guidelines. However, its efforts were deficient to PETA because they did not introduce the specific changes that PETA had suggested, which were the introduction of gas killing, installation of cameras in slaughterhouses, and the introduction of mechanized chicken catching.
Finally, the US Department of Agriculture stated that there are no reports of KFC violating any laws concerning animal welfare, and that there is no fraud action against KFC concerning it’s statement about the treat
ment of chickens (4). PETA is still pressuring KFC to kill chickens by gas asphyxiation, which puts the animals to sleep by using inert gases that cause no distress for the animals as they inhale it, but as a compromise, KFC is using the mechanized chicken catching, which causes less bruising and fewer broken bones, and are improving the living spaces in the chicken houses with sheltered areas. KFC says, “We are mentoring our suppliers on an ongoing basis to determine whether our suppliers are using humane procedures for caring for and handling animals they supply to us” (1). To guarantee this, KFC holds a number of inspections, announced and unannounced, meant to document illicit behavior. The cleanliness of these facilities and the health of the birds are top priorities for the farmers. The floors of chicken houses are typically covered with clean pine shavings or rice hulls to ensure the health of the birds. KFC only deals with suppliers that promise to ensure their animal welfare guidelines (5).
KFC’s Animal Welfare Guidelines
The KFC website lists these guidelines. They include two topics, processing guidelines and farm level guidelines.
- General Suppliers must have a documented program for animal welfare including a designated program leader, formal employee training, and a system of regular self-audits and record keeping. Corrective action for suppliers’ deviations from KFC’s poultry welfare guidelines should be clearly stated and effective.Birds arriving at the plant should be clean and in good health. If an audit reveals dirty or sick birds, corrective action at the grow-out house must be taken by the supplier.
- Catching
KFC’s guidelines also provide that every reasonable precaution should be taken to minimize injury to birds arriving at our suppliers’ plants. KFC recommends that its suppliers implement an incentive program that rewards catching crews for minimizing injury if KFC’s audit reveals that birds are being injured during the catching process. - Transport
KFC’s guidelines call for transport crates to be in good repair. KFC recommends that there be no crate damage that would allow injury to birds or allow crates to accidentally open. Transport crates should not be over-filled and enough space should be provided to allow all birds to lie down. - Holding
Birds held in storage sheds by our suppliers should be provided adequate ventilation and climate control such as fans or curtains. - Stunning
Our suppliers’ stunning equipment should be maintained to confirm that birds are insensible prior to slaughter, and the time between stunning and slaughter should be limited to minimize any likelihood that a bird may regain consciousness prior to slaughter.
- Humane Slaughter equipment at all supply facilities should be properly maintained to confirm that the birds are slaughtered quickly.
Farm Level Guidelines:
- Education and training of poultry supplier personnel: Suppliers must have a documented program for animal welfare including a designated program leader, formal employee training, and a system of regular self-audits and record keeping. Corrective action for suppliers’ deviations from KFC’s poultry welfare guidelines should be clearly stated and effective.
- Hatchery operations: Climate and sanitation must be monitored by suppliers in order to promote chick health and comfort. All processing systems must be designed, maintained, and operated in a manner that minimizes injury to the chicks. Beak trimming is not allowed for poultry that will be sold in our restaurants.
- Comfort and shelter: KFC’s guidelines call for its suppliers to house birds in shelters that are clean, well ventilated and protective. Temperature, humidity, ammonia levels, lighting and litter conditions should be continually monitored to maintain the comfort level of the birds, as well as emergency procedures in the event of a power failure. Birds should be free to roam throughout the shelters.
- Raising: Consistent with federal law, it is KFC’s policy that its suppliers must not use hormones or steroids for any purpose, including to promote growth in their chickens, and our suppliers tell us that they are complying with this policy. Our suppliers tell us that in order to promote the health and well-being of the chickens in their care, some chickens may, from time to time, be given medications (including antibiotics) under veterinary supervision to cure or prevent disease in the flocks. KFC’s policy prohibits suppliers from using antibiotics to promote the growth of healthy chickens where such antibiotics are significant to human health. Our suppliers assure us that they are complying with this KFC policy.
- Proper nutrition and feeding: KFC’s guidelines recommend that suppliers should formulate feed in order to deliver proper nutrition and promote the health of the birds. (1).
The purpose of the guidelines is to help KFC focus their suppliers and the broiler industry on advancing animal welfare, in hope that it leads to improvements. The KFC animal welfare advisory council, established in 2001, provides KFC with information, advice and direction based on scientific research and also helped formalize the animal welfare program. They are the ones who created these guidelines that KFC’s suppliers are expected and required to follow. This council is composed of scientific experts in poultry physiology and the leading scientists and academics in the field of animal welfare. Included in this council is Dr. Temple Grandin, a very well-known veterinary scientist. They are considered to be some of the nation’s most respected authorities in their field of experience (1). Dr. Paul Siegel says, “My role with KFC is advisory with each issue judgmental from several venues. As a scientist my advice is based on science and current technology. There are those who then assemble and make judgments. This is similar to being a faculty member versus a university administrator” (6).
Only In America?
KFC doesn’t only suffer from this issue in America, but does in other countries as well.
The former Smiths front man, Morrissey, a 52-year-old vegetarian and animal rights activist took a stand for what he believes during his concert in the Polish capital, W
arsaw, bashing KFC and another popular fast food chain. Before performing his single Meat is Murder, he told the crowd: “We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried shit every day”. He was basically comparing the killing of children to KFC & McDonald’s. “It’s a moral issue. Killing a stag is like killing a child. What’s the difference?” he told reporter John Wilson (7). This goes to show how strongly some vegetarians feel about the issue of animal cruelty. “We do not tolerate animal abuse by any of our suppliers, under any circumstance”. This statement has not always proved true in the past, but KFC does all that it can, after all, it still is considered a chicken restaurant that does not own or operate any chicken farms. “There’s nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, but we’re proud to serve the world’s most famous fried chicken and we support our customers’ preference to eat meat – a preference that represents the viewpoint of the majority of Americans”, the KFC website states (1).
As of now, KFC uses controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS), which Dr. Bruce Webster, who is active in the study of animal behavior and welfare with the purpose of developing practical solutions to legitimate animal welfare concerns, says “involves generation of specific gaseous environments that cause poultry (or other farm species) to become unconscious with minimal distress. Nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are the gases typically used, alone or in combination” (8).
While sharing about PETA, KFC’s animal welfare guidelines and council, and also touching on something that happened in another country, I hope that I have shown you some of the humane efforts that KFC conducts and some of the difficulties that it has had to handle in the past.
The “bottom line”, KFC says, is when you visit KFC, you can enjoy the Colonel’s Original Recipe while being confident of KFC’s commitment to animal welfare.
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REFERENCES
1.) Welcome to KFC.com. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.kfc.com/>.
2.) McNeil Jr., Donald G. “KFC Supplier Accused of Animal Cruelty – NYTimes.com.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 20 July 2004. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/20/business/20chicken.html?pagewanted=all>.
3.) “About PETA– Out Mission Statement.” PETA.org. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. <http://www.peta.org/about/default.aspx>.
4.) “KFC Chickens Out to PETA | Fox News.” Fox News – Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. Foxnews.com, 5 Sept. 2003. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96473,00.html>.
5.) O’Rourke, Morgan. “KFC Supplier Investigated for Animal Cruelty | Risk Management | Find Articles.” Find Articles | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. Findarticles.com, Oct. 2004. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5332/is_10_51/ai_n29148172/>.
6.) Dr. Siegel, Paul. Personal Interview. Nov. 8, 2011.
7.) Davies, Caroline. “Morrissey Likens Norway Attacks to McDonald’s and KFC | Music | Guardian.co.uk.” Latest News, Sport and Comment from the Guardian | The Guardian. 28 July 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/28/morrissey-norway-attacks-mcdonalds-kfc>.
8.) Dr. Webster, Bruce. Personal Interview. Nov. 8, 2011.
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