Questions answered
There are 65 questions about “Animal welfare” in the “How do you operate?” topic.
Click on a question to read our answer.
- 16. Why are all of the answers to the animal welfare questions the same in each one? Why does McDonald's insist on carefully dancing around the truth with the same canned response each and every time? Maybe McDonald's shouldn't put up a front about the slaughter and treatment of the animals. Are McDonald's CEOs unaware that "stunning" animals is the same as electrocuting? ELECTROCUTION HURTS. HOW IS THIS HUMANE?
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McDonald's is not trying to skirt any issues. A lot of the questions asked are very similar and, therefore, the facts contained in each answer will not vary which might give the impression that the answers are off a central script. In terms of the specific question about the slaughtering process, McDonald's works very closely with the RSPCA, the veterinary department at Bristol University and an organisation called the FAI, as well as a number of independent experts, to ensure that it uses the most humane practices at the abattoirs it chooses to work with. Animal welfare is an important part of the way that McDonald's conducts its business and the standards in place meet and exceed those laid down by EU and UK legislation. At the end of the day, slaughter is a necessary process in the production of meat for consumption. McDonald's objective is to ensure that the procedures used at its abattoirs are the most humane and ethical.
(June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 17. Can I ask what age the chicken are when the a slaughted for your nuggets ?
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Birds for human consumption are bred to reach optimum weight in around 40 days.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 18. good afternoon: i want to ask in which way does the cows get sloughtered, is it by electrical machines? thank you
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The cattle are unloaded at the abattoir and then carefully inspected under veterinary supervision to make sure each animal is fit for slaughter. They are then individually walked through to a pen where they are stunned before their main artery is cut. They will die in a matter of seconds and do not feel a thing during this process. McDonald’s has standards in place to ensure that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel. The company simply will not work with any supplier that cannot adhere to these high standards, and of course all those required by UK and EU legislation. All abattoirs must be EU-approved and all are under the care of qualified vets and health inspectors. (October 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 19. why don t you guys just pls start doing a delivery service to UK addresses?
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Many factors have to be taken into account to provide a delivery service, for example the length of time taken for the staff to reach their destinations to ensure hot fresh food in the quickest time. As a company, McDonald's feels that it could not adequately meet these goals at the present time.
(October 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 20. As a major food supplier, would you agree that it would be of benefit to your clients to use free-range chickens, if available in large quantities, compared to the chickens you use now?
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Yes, McDonald's agrees with you. Planned European legislation will require battery farming to end in approximately the next six years in Europe. McDonald's UK only use free-range eggs and work very closely with Freedom Foods and the RSPCA to ensure all of their egg producers work to a high level of animal welfare and are approved to Freedom Food standards. McDonald's also work with their suppliers to enrich the environment for free range produce which includes initiatives such as providing additional shelter and planting trees so that the chickens can have a more comfortable and protected environment.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 21. do you abuse your chickens when they are about to die?
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No. McDonald's will not tolerate any abuse of chickens and will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to these high standards. The standards McDonald's have in place are continually monitored to ensure that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 22. Instead of factory farmed chicken why couldn't you use free range hens in your chicken products as there is clearly a welfare issue with the former.
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The only chicken meat McDonald's uses is carefully deboned chicken breast meat, and only from poultry suppliers in the UK, mainland Europe and Brazil, who are accredited by the nationally recognised Farm Assurance Scheme – Assured Chicken Production. Strict animal welfare standards are in place, which have been developed with the suppliers and global animal welfare experts. The feed used for rearing our chickens is not genetically modified and is free from antibiotic growth promoters. Diets for the chickens are carefully formulated by experienced nutritionists, with bird health regularly monitored by veterinary personnel. McDonald's is also a co-sponsor of The Food Animal Initiative who are running a research project looking into the commercial viability of free range chicken meat production. All of the eggs used in the breakfast menu and sauces are free range. Great care is taken to ensure that all of the free range eggs conform to the Lion Mark code of practice. McDonald's suppliers are accredited by an independently audited Free Range Farm Assurance scheme.
(October 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 23. I would personally find it hard to believe that McDonald's produce has to meet the same standards in the U.S.A as it does in the U.K due to the lack of scepticism in the U.S.A. For example, the U.K has stricter animal welfare rules than the U.S.A; so do you ensure that animals reared in the U.S have the same standard of living as U.K animals vice versa?
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This website has been set-up to deal with questions regarding McDonald's in the UK and therefore cannot comment on McDonald's restaurants in the US. Please visit www.mcdonalds.com for more information.
(October 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 24. On this site, you discuss the wellbeing of the cattle that is supplied to McDonalds, but I can't find any infiormation about the chickens which are used. Therefore could you tell me if the chickens which McDonalds uses comes from a free range environment or is suppled from a factory farm? Thank you, Caroline.
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The animals are normally kept in the fields outside during spring and summer, and in winter they may also be kept in barns. But while all the eggs come from free range farms, the chickens themselves do not. The chicken meat comes from both UK and foreign poultry farmers, all of whom must adhere to the Assured Chicken Production regulations which ensure full control over all aspects of chicken farming, including feed and animal welfare. McDonald's is also a co-sponsor of The Food Animal Initiative who are running a research project looking into the commercial viability of free range chicken meat production.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 25. Although UK meat production would appear to consider animal welfare, the conditions of American farms is vastly different. Question: Is it not true that supporting Macdonalds in the UK in turn supports farming conditions in the US?
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Thank you for your question. It is very difficult to comment on operations in the US as this website has been set up by McDonald's UK to specifically deal with issues in the UK. However, it is important to know that McDonald's cares about animals. McDonald’s have in place strict animal welfare standards developed with welfare suppliers and global animal welfare experts, and will not work with any supplier that does not adhere to these very high and exacting standards. You maybe interested to know that McDonald's were awarded with an RSPCA Alternative Award for commitment to improving animal welfare in the 'fast food' category. A part of this success can be contributed to McDonald's collaboration with Professor Temple Grandin, a renowned expert on animal welfare, who advises McDonald's in the USA, looking at ways to improve animal welfare in slaughterhouses.
(June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 26. Is it true that you test your milk shakes on animals?
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No, this is not true.
(April 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 27. are your chickens that we eat free range and if you dont answer i know that you do have them mistreated
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There is not necessarily a direct correlation between non-free range and poor animal welfare conditions. The chickens used for meat are not free-range but they are reared under conditions that meet high standards monitored by the Assured Chicken Production regulations and are slaughtered using the most humane techniques. It is worth noting that McDonald's has won the RSPCA Alternative Award for their commitment to improving animal welfare in the 'fast food' category for the third year running. (April 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 28. Hello, I've seen websites and heard rumours about how you treat animals. Are they properly treated, are they given a good life and space to roam?
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The welfare of animal’s matters to McDonald's and the company knows it matters to you. For that reason McDonald's will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the company's high standards, and those required by UK and EU legislation. In addition McDonald's works with internationally renowned welfare experts to ensure best practices are in place. People might also be surprised to hear that last year McDonald's was awarded an RSPCA Alternative Award for commitment to improving animal welfare in the ‘fast food’ category. To ensure that every step in the supply chain is monitored and that everyone lives up to these high standards, in 2002 the McDonald’s Agricultural Assurance Programme was set up. McDonald's encourages its suppliers to continually explore advances in animal rearing and husbandry and also to encourage their own suppliers to do the same.
Beef cattle used for McDonald's meat in the UK are reared in the UK and Ireland. They are largely kept outdoors but may be kept undercover during the winter months. They’re fed a grass-based diet that is supplemented with cereals and cereal crops. The chickens are reared by UK and Brazilian suppliers, all of whom must adhere to the directives set out in the Assured Chicken Production (ACP) scheme, which controls all aspects of chicken farming including feed and animal welfare. You might like to look at the first Quality Scout report now live on the site for a behind-the-scenes report on a McDonald's farm.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 29. When slaughtering cows, what 'error rate' does your company consider acceptable, specifically when the captive bolt pistol is used?
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McDonald's have very strict animal welfare standards which include effective stunning of cattle. To ensure this, McDonald's require that only licensed operatives are allowed to perform the stunning, that the gun is maintained in full working order and that a back up gun is also to hand. If in the rare occasion the stun is not effective, a back up gun is immediately used and the incident recorded. These records are then inspected regularly to make sure that corrective action is taken to prevent a reoccurrence.
(July 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 30. l would like to know how your meat is slaughtered for your burgers etc...is done according to the book ie the Torah or the bible ?
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There is no religious input into McDonald's approach to animal rearing or slaughter. The question has come up quite a lot on this website, but currently McDonald's UK lacks the necessary infrastructure in its supply chain to guarantee the requirements of Halal or Kosher food. McDonald's ensures that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel. The company does not work with any supplier that cannot adhere to these high standards, and to all those required by the most stringent UK and EU legislation.
JUNE'07 UPDATE: McDonald's trials Halal chicken at a restaurant in Southall, London. Click here for more information: http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/our-halal-trial.html (June 2007)
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