In the past week both Burger King and Wolfgang Puck have announced plans to begin purchasing animal products from suppliers following certain welfare and humane slaughter guidelines.
Burger King plans to begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates. The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or "controlled-atmospheric stunning," rather than electric shocks to knock birds unconscious before slaughter.
The goal for the next few months, Burger King said is for 2 percent of its eggs to be "cage free," and for 10 percent of its pork to come from farms that allow sows to move around inside pens, rather than being confined to crates. The company said those percentages would rise as more farmers shift to these methods and more competitively priced supplies become available.
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck also announced that the meat and eggs he used would come from animals raised under strict animal welfare codes. Puck will require animal-product suppliers for his 14 fine dining restaurants, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Express fast-casual restaurants and 43 catering venues nationwide to meet the program standards, which include: ? Only serving all-natural or organic crate-free pork ? Only serving all-natural or organic crate-free veal ? Eliminating foie gras from menus ? Only serving all-natural or organic chicken and turkey from farms compliant with "progressive-animal welfare standards" ? Expanding certified organic selections on all menus
These changes in practices come after consultation with animal rights groups including the Humane Society of the US, Farm Sanctuary and PETA.