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March 28, 2007

Bravo for Burger King

I've thought for some time that Burger King was head and shoulders above the fast food pack in terms of quality of the food, and now I really like BK. The company has bowed to pressure from animal welfare advocates and decided that it will start buying meat and eggs from suppliers who don't confine animals in cages and crates and will favor chicken suppliers that use more humane methods for slaughtering the birds.

Granted, not all of the meat and eggs Burger King buys will be "cage free," but the company says it will increase its purchases from these suppliers as quantities are increasingly available. The cost is higher for these foods, but I, for one, will happily pay more to support progress in the movement toward more humane treatment of animals being raised for food. The tide has turned in this movement, and it is in large part thanks to people like the Humane Society and PETA, who have worked tirelessly to put an end to the rampant, heartless treatment of living creatures.

Last week, the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announced that the meat and eggs he used would come from animals raised under strict animal welfare codes.

And in January, the world’s largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, said it would phase out confinement of pigs in metal crates over the next decade.

Some city and state governments have banned restaurants from serving foie gras and have prohibited farmers from confining veal calves and pigs in crates.

It is important to encourage companies that are willing to take steps in the right direction, even if they don't quite go to the lengths we would wish. In time, I believe they will. So for now, reward them with your business and let them know they are doing the right thing.

Posted by Becky at March 28, 2007 10:30 AM