New Report Reveals Widespread Animal Cruelty Supported by Major US Pizza Chains

NEW YORK, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released by The Humane League exposes widespread animal cruelty within the supply chains of pizza restaurants throughout the United States. The report calls for these companies to adopt the Better Chicken Commitment, a set of minimum animal welfare standards that improve the lives of chickens who suffer every day in factory farms.

Several major US pizza chains are falling behind competitors by continuing to allow abuse and torture of animals raised for food within their supply chains. The Humane League is calling on these companies to stop profiting from animal cruelty by adopting the Better Chicken Commitment—a set of minimum standards that address the worst abuses suffered by chickens raised for meat.

"By failing to make this reasonable anti-cruelty commitment, these pizza chains are allowing unconscionable, unnecessary animal suffering to happen on their watch," said David Coman-Hidy, President of The Humane League. "These companies need to be held accountable to making real and meaningful improvements to the cruel treatment of the animals in their supply chains, as so many competitors in the fast food space have already done."

As of today, more than 200 food companies in the United States, including Papa John's, Burger King, and Chipotle, have already adopted the Better Chicken Commitment—a science-based animal welfare policy that addresses and improves critical health issues related to breeding chickens for fast-growth and high-yield, the space provided per bird, housing conditions, and slaughter practices.

In today's industrialized food system, chickens raised for meat are bred to grow so large and unnaturally fast, causing them crippling injuries, deformities, and health conditions. They're typically slaughtered at just six weeks of age, via the cruel industry standard called live-shackle slaughter. Millions of chickens will have their throats slit while still conscious, and over half a million will be tragically boiled alive in scalding tanks each year. These pizza restaurants allow these practices to go on every day and have refused to ban these abusive practices from their supply chains. They have never released a public statement about their standards for chicken welfare.

The full report can be viewed at ThePriceofaSlice.com. For more information and to join more than 46,000 others in signing a petition against this corporate cruelty, click here.

About The Humane League

The Humane League is a global nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food by influencing the policies of the world's biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates. Since 2005, The Humane League has focused on effectively ending the worst abuses in factory farming, securing strong animal welfare commitments from major foodservice providers, restaurants, food manufacturers and hospitality leaders around the world, changing the lives of billions of farm animals.

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Julia Tomkins
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SOURCE The Humane League