PETA Launches Worldwide Kentucky Fried Chicken Campaign

For Immediate Release:
10 February 2003


Contact:
Sean Gifford (PETA) +44 20 7357 9229, ext. 226; +44 773 457 9092 (cellular)
Dawn Carr (PETA) +44 020 7357 9229, ext. 244; [email protected]



Eindhoven, Holland – After 21 months of failed negotiations and following victories over McDonald’s and Burger King—both of which bowed to PETA pressure to reduce cruel treatment of animals raised and slaughtered for food—PETA has declared its latest campaign target: KFC, owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. PETA will formally launch the campaign in the Netherlands by depicting Col. Sanders as a knife-wielding maniac, unveiling new posters, leaflets and will show broadcast-quality footage of abusive animal treatment by KFC suppliers at a demonstration outside of the Eindhoven KFC.


Date: Wednesday 12 February 2003
Time: 12 noon
Place: Kentucky Fried Chicken, Marktstraat 1, 5611 EA, Eindhoven


PETA attempted to negotiate with Yum! Brands executives in the United States for 21 months prior to the campaign launch, but despite assurances made long ago by Senior Vice President Jonathan Blum that KFC would ‘raise the bar’ on animal welfare, the company refuses to eliminate the worst abuses. In the Netherlands, KFC’s head office has refused to respond to PETA’s letters and phone calls.


Among the improvements that PETA wants KFC to implement are the following: replacing crude and ineffective 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; and implementing automated chicken-catching, a process that reduces the high incidence of bruising, broken bones and stress associated with catching the birds by hand.


‘KFC has short-changed the chickens, leaving us no choice but to turn up the heat’, says Director of Campaigns Sean Gifford. ‘McDonald’s and Burger King responded to consumer pressure; KFC would do well to follow their lead.’


Protests are planned in cities throughout the world and have already begun across North America, Europe and Australia. For more information, please visit KFCCruelty.co.uk.