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McDonald’s, Tyson cut sever relationship with chicken farm

By Jeremy Gerrard
August 28, 2015

Tyson Foods and McDonald’s have cut ties with a poultry farm that supplied chicken for its McNuggets after a Los-Angeles-based animal rights activist group published a video documenting cruelty and abusive practices on the farm.

The hidden camera footage, shot by Mercy For Animals, depicts workers at a Tennessee farm beating birds to death, stabbing birds with spiked clubs and stepping on birds heads to break their necks.

“Those who survive the wretched factory farm conditions are grabbed by their legs, wings, and necks and slammed into transport crates bound for the slaughterhouse,” Mercy for Animals said.

In a statement obtained by the Associated Press, Tyson Foods spokesperson said the company has terminated the farmer’s contract based on the information it knows. A statement from officials at McDonalds said the company supported its supplier Tyson in this decision.

"We're working with Tyson Foods to further investigate this situation and reinforce our expectations around animal health and welfare at the farm level," the McDonald's statement said.

 Mercy For Animals called on the companies to develop better animal welfare practices. 

KEYWORDS: animal welfare food supply

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Jeremy Gerrard was Food Engineering's Digital/Online Editor. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in journalism. His previous work experience includes years spent as a reporter with the Daily Local News out of Chester County, PA. In addition to writing feature articles for Food Engineering, Jeremy covered the Dry Processing, Field Reports and People and Industry news sections.

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