Questions answered
There are 65 questions about “Animal welfare” in the “How do you operate?” topic.
Click on a question to read our answer.
- 1. How would a dairy cow react if you gave it a Hsmburger?
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Animals should be fed on a diet that is best suited to them and generally not food that they wouldn't normally acquire in their natural state or habitat. The cattle used by McDonald’s are fed on a diet ranging from grass and straw, to a variety of cereals, maize and root crops, and are not fed anything which would make them ill. Additionally Cattle are herbivores and have a digestive system that has evolved to deal with plant material, and therefore consuming meat would probably have a negative effect on a cow’s health. If you would like to find out more about the cattle used by McDonald’s, please follow the Quality Scout reports by following the ‘Quality Scout’ link on this site.
(July 2008)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 2. Are Mc Chicken Nuggets and Mc Chicken Sandwich chicken portions made from free-range chickens? or: Where is the chicken from either free range or other battery farmed?
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The chickens used for meat in McDonald’s products are called broilers, and are not free-range, but they are reared under conditions that meet high standards, monitored by the Assured Chicken Production regulations. The British Poultry Council also sets high standards for chicken welfare, which is monitored through a set of regulations called Assured Chicken Production (ACP). All suppliers that work with McDonald's must adhere to these standards and procedures as well as McDonald's own strict protocols. You may be interested to know that McDonald's is constantly monitoring the situation with regard to the use and availability of free range meat. There are huge differences in the costs of producing free range chickens, compared with more common farming systems. McDonald's UK has seriously looked at all the current available options, and currently there aren’t enough farms to supply the birds, and there just isn't enough land in the UK for all the chicken houses and fields required. In the meantime, McDonald's, like other responsible food businesses, is concentrating on working with producers and welfare experts to provide and good welfare conditions for the birds that allow them to display their natural behaviour in comfortable surroundings. To this end the company is a co-sponsor of The Food Animal Initiative which is running a research project looking into the commercial viability of free-range chicken meat production.
(September 2008)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 3. Is it true that you terat your farm animals apporlingly and force feed your chickend to make them masave and the ones that are pregnant you completly starve them?
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Firstly, many apologies for the very slow response to your question. As the site went through a few changes, some questions had slipped through the net, so thank you for your patience. Regarding your question, you can take comfort in knowing that none of what you have mentioned is true. McDonald's takes the welfare of animals very seriously. For this reason, McDonald's refuses to work with any supplier that does not adhere to the company’s high standards, and those required by UK and EU legislation. Every step in the supply chain is monitored according to the McDonald's Agricultural Assurance programme and you don’t have to take our word for it Why not check out Quality Scouts section on this site and view out all the interviews, reports, pictures and video of Independent Quality Scouts visits to some of the suppliers and farms that provide McDonald's with its food items and products. You will get to look behind the scenes and see a firsthand account on how animals live and are treated before they come to the restaurant.
(March 2008)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 4. Hiya this is nathan here im just wondering do you no off any abittoirs around liverpool that catering students can visit ?
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McDonald's doesn't use an abattoir in the Liverpool area. The nearest one is at Clitheroe in Lancashire. The local Environmental Health Office or the Food Standards Agency should be able to help you, as they keep a register of licensed slaughterhouses.
(May 2008)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 5. how do you deal with your animals(chickens,cows,pigs)befor they are cooked.can you tell me that you handle them respectfuly and treat them like animals not like dirt how mutch fat is in you food(chips,burgurs,milkshakes)
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McDonald's is in the business of making and serving food, primarily non-vegetarian food and as such the death of cattle and chickens is an unavoidable part of this. However, this should not suggest that McDonald's does not care about how these animals are treated before slaughter; in fact the treatment of animals and their welfare is very important to the company. Animal welfare issues are considered every single day by the farms and suppliers that produce McDonald’s food. Standards laid down in the McDonald’s Agriculture Assurance Programme clearly state how animals must be cared for, including the provision of feed, bedding, shelter, lighting and comfort. The company's insistence that each one of its suppliers must meet its very high animal welfare standards is further enforced by the McDonald's Quality Assurance Team, several of whom are fully qualified animal welfare officers. They regularly inspect all aspects of the food supply chain to ensure the animals are healthy, properly fed and well looked after throughout their lifetime.
You are probably aware of the different food items available on McDonald’s menu, from carrot sticks and fruit bags to burgers and fries there is plenty of choice available for everybody. To help customers make a considered choice about they are eating when they visit the restaurant, there is a plethora of nutritional content information available for all McDonald’s menu items. You can find it on the reverse of the trayliners on some packaging and extensively online at www.mcdonalds.co.uk and www.mcdonaldsmenu.info.
(March 2008)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 6. When will the animal welfare standards that have been implemented in the UK be implemented in the U.S? There's no roaming in the field for cows or chickens that get served up in their millions over here! Also, how can you justify the fact that beef production causes so much environmental damage, both in terms of methane emissions / global warming, as well as the amount of fossil fuel it takes to grow grain to feed beef cattle?
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Thank you for your question and sorry for the slow response - unfortunately your question seems to have slipped through the records.
Each country considers the wants of its customers on a local level as well as any legislative requirements. Therefore, the information given about animal welfare, sourcing and ingredients, for example, on this site are pertinent for the UK. However, as a global company, McDonald's takes it world-wide position very seriously and, even if this might manifest itself in different ways according to the local markets, the principles remain the same and can be found on www.mcdonalds.com
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 7. Your "Our Food" booklet shows a drawing of two chickens with room to walk about. Is this actually the case in the chicken farms from which you buy? Or are animals caged? How much floor space does each chicken have?
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The eggs that McDonald's uses are all from free-range hens. McDonald's does not use eggs from battery-farm hens (battery-farm hens are kept in cages). The chickens raised for our meat products are called Broilers and are reared in barns which are monitored to the standards set by the ACP (Assured Chicken Production) protocol. McDonald's insists that all of its suppliers adhere to very strict standards of animal welfare and independent audits are conducted on a regular basis. Against these criteria, no animal used in the McDonald's supply chain is ever caged. You might 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.
(August 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 8. How do you kill you ckickens?
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Sincere apologies for the late reply to your question.
The chickens 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 hung on a line which quickly transports them in a calm environment (they hang against a soft side rest proven to have a calming effect); to where they are stunned to make sure they are unconscious, before the main artery is cut. McDonald’s has very stringent procedures in place throughout its food production to ensure that all animals are treated in the right way before slaughter. All suppliers who work with McDonald’s must adhere to the extremely stringent guidelines and high standards laid down by local government, the McDonald’s Agriculture Assurance Plans, and the British Poultry Council’s Assured Chicken Production scheme which controls all aspects of chicken farming, including feed and animal welfare. McDonald's continues to collaborate with global animal welfare experts to ensure that it provides the highest levels of farming quality and welfare.
(August 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 9. I would like to ask about your animal wellfare. Being vegetarian, as is my family and most friends, this is important to me.I couldn't find any info whether all the beef comes from free-range farms? This is very important to us, as we believe all the living, feeling creatures should have at least have experienced happiness in their life. Not been kept in horrid beef-factories. Looking forward to your honest answer. Kind regards, Kirka B
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While 'free range' is a term that technically only applies to poultry, the welfare of all animals matters to McDonald's and the company knows it matters to you. McDonald's is not aware of any 'beef factories' in the UK or Ireland. Regardless, 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. You might like to look at the Quality Scout reports now live on this www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk site for behind-the-scenes reports and films from farms that supply McDonald's.
(August 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 10. Why don't you use free range chicken in your products containing chicken meat? Why do you buy chicken that has been reared in conditions -however legal they may be- that are obviously cruel?
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McDonald’s is constantly reviewing the production methods of the poultry used for its chicken based food products. At the moment the market for free range chicken meat production is very small, and the cost therefore prohibitive. But McDonald’s is working closely with research organisations such as the Food Animal Initiative, who are developing alternative production methods for chicken which aim to provide a more welfare-friendly system on a large commercial scale. McDonald's is keen to work to encourage suppliers to keep innovating around welfare improvements. A Scout report on this site can give you more details on the Food Animal Initiative if you are interested.
(September 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 11. quite alot of the time when ive eaten a macdonalds i feel ill and not very pleasant so i decided to go for the chicken burger instead until my mate says its not real chicken its "grown" without feathers wings and most disturbingly heads. is this true?????
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Sorry for the slow reply, but no, this is not the case and you have nothing to worry about. All McDonald's chicken products use breast meat from chickens bred in full compliance with British standards (and definitely not bred without feathers) and which can be traced (in the UK) back to their grandparents.
(August 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 12. During slaughtering process how do you get the cattle stunned before their main artery is cut. It would be highly appreciated if you could tell me more about the stunning process.
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The majority of abattoirs that supply McDonald's beef in the UK use a captive bolt to stun the animal. There are a small number that use electric stunning. Both methods comply with the high standards of animal welfare required by McDonald's under advisement from UK and European legislation as well as animal experts. The company simply will not work with any supplier that does not adhere to these high standards. All abattoirs must be EU-approved and all are under the care of qualified vets and health inspectors.
(November 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 13. i want to know if the cows, chickens and pigs are slaugtered in the same place and with the same equipment?
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The slaughter of animals for human consumption is carried out at specific licensed plants, and the sites that supply McDonald’s tend to be single species. There are some plants that supply McDonald’s that slaughter cattle and sheep separately. However, unless it was to be a special edition sandwich, McDonald’s does not use sheep or lamb meat. Unfortunately, it is not practical to supply details of all the plants - for beef and pork alone, there are over twenty approved plants just for McDonald’s UK, with a similar number for poultry plants that, stretching from Brazil, to Hungary, Italy, the UK and Holland. As with the different plants used for slaughter, so would the implements used be.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 14. Are the animals killed in a humane way - i have seen videos of animals being killed are the animals chosen for MacDonalds treated in the same way? Kind Regards Gita
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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.
(July 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 15. Last night, I had the misfortune to watch an article featuring BERNARD MATTHEWS turkey farm, I was horrified to see two men playing football with turkeys,how can you ensure that these cows are not treated with the same hatred and animosity
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Animal welfare is a sensitive subject. McDonald's believes that the welfare of animals is very important and for that reason will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to McDonald's high standards, and those required by UK and EU legislation. In 2002 the McDonald's Agricultural Assurance Programme was set up to make sure that every step in the supply chain is monitored and lives up to these high standards. McDonald's also works with internationally renowned welfare experts to ensure best practices are in place and you might also be surprised to find out that McDonald's was awarded an RSPCA Alternative Award for their commitment to improving animal welfare in the 'fast food' category.
(July 2007)
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