Kat
06-28-2006, 10:56 PM
Hardee's parent, PETA are talking
By Gail Appleson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/28/2006
The beef: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals complains that poultry suppliers use inhumane methods to kill chickens.
The chicken: PETA says the birds are conscious while their throats are slit and they are dunked in scalding water.
The promise: CKE Restaurants Inc. agrees to obtain information on its suppliers' slaughtering methods.
CKE Restaurants Inc., parent of the St. Louis-based Hardee's burger chain, staved off a shareholders meeting confrontation with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals when it agreed Tuesday to get information from poultry suppliers about the way they kill chickens.
PETA recently bought 220 shares of CKE so it would have the right to address shareholders on the issue. The activist group has amassed shares in about 25 restaurant, grocery and animal-processing companies in order to persuade them to adopt a humane poultry-slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing" in which chickens are euthanized.
"We are able to use our position as shareholders to get them to listen to us," said Matthew Prescott, manager of PETA's factory-farming campaigns. "It's wonderful that in our first interaction with CKE we could come to an agreement."
Prescott said he planned to attend Supervalu Inc.'s shareholders' meeting today to apply the same strategy. Supervalu's grocery chains include Kirkwood-based Shop 'n Save and Earth City-based Save-A-Lot. PETA also owns shares in such companies as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Denny's and Tyson Foods. Supervalu, which has its headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn., is holding its shareholders' meeting in Fargo, N.D.
PETA was less successful last month when it took its campaign to the Applebee's International Inc. annual meeting. Shareholders defeated a proposal calling for Applebee's to support a more-humane slaughtering method.
However, CKE shareholders never heard a proposal as the accord was reached just before the annual meeting began at the Chase Park Plaza. Prescott had planned to give a graphic description to shareholders about a method it says CKE's suppliers use to kill poultry. The method involves immobilizing the animals with an electric shock, slitting their throats and dunking them in scalding water. PETA says the animals are conscious through most of the process.
Although CKE executives did not discuss the PETA request during the meeting, the company issued a statement saying it has worked closely with restaurant and food-marketing industry groups to develop a comprehensive animal welfare program. It said it requires its suppliers to observe the program's guidelines or their own industry's guidelines.
In other developments at the meeting, CKE., based in Carpinteria, Calif., said Hardee's was testing a separate menu for its Red Burrito line at nine St. Louis-area stores. In addition to burritos, the menu includes a taco salad and nachos.
The company also said it has made its fish sandwich a regular menu item because of bird flu concerns. The sandwich previously was only available during Lent.
CKE, which also owns the Carl's Jr. chain, released first-quarter results Monday. It said that revenue from company-operated Hardee's restaurants rose 5.7 percent from the year-ago quarter and that same-store sales increased 5.6 percent.
:rolleyes
By Gail Appleson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/28/2006
The beef: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals complains that poultry suppliers use inhumane methods to kill chickens.
The chicken: PETA says the birds are conscious while their throats are slit and they are dunked in scalding water.
The promise: CKE Restaurants Inc. agrees to obtain information on its suppliers' slaughtering methods.
CKE Restaurants Inc., parent of the St. Louis-based Hardee's burger chain, staved off a shareholders meeting confrontation with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals when it agreed Tuesday to get information from poultry suppliers about the way they kill chickens.
PETA recently bought 220 shares of CKE so it would have the right to address shareholders on the issue. The activist group has amassed shares in about 25 restaurant, grocery and animal-processing companies in order to persuade them to adopt a humane poultry-slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing" in which chickens are euthanized.
"We are able to use our position as shareholders to get them to listen to us," said Matthew Prescott, manager of PETA's factory-farming campaigns. "It's wonderful that in our first interaction with CKE we could come to an agreement."
Prescott said he planned to attend Supervalu Inc.'s shareholders' meeting today to apply the same strategy. Supervalu's grocery chains include Kirkwood-based Shop 'n Save and Earth City-based Save-A-Lot. PETA also owns shares in such companies as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Denny's and Tyson Foods. Supervalu, which has its headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn., is holding its shareholders' meeting in Fargo, N.D.
PETA was less successful last month when it took its campaign to the Applebee's International Inc. annual meeting. Shareholders defeated a proposal calling for Applebee's to support a more-humane slaughtering method.
However, CKE shareholders never heard a proposal as the accord was reached just before the annual meeting began at the Chase Park Plaza. Prescott had planned to give a graphic description to shareholders about a method it says CKE's suppliers use to kill poultry. The method involves immobilizing the animals with an electric shock, slitting their throats and dunking them in scalding water. PETA says the animals are conscious through most of the process.
Although CKE executives did not discuss the PETA request during the meeting, the company issued a statement saying it has worked closely with restaurant and food-marketing industry groups to develop a comprehensive animal welfare program. It said it requires its suppliers to observe the program's guidelines or their own industry's guidelines.
In other developments at the meeting, CKE., based in Carpinteria, Calif., said Hardee's was testing a separate menu for its Red Burrito line at nine St. Louis-area stores. In addition to burritos, the menu includes a taco salad and nachos.
The company also said it has made its fish sandwich a regular menu item because of bird flu concerns. The sandwich previously was only available during Lent.
CKE, which also owns the Carl's Jr. chain, released first-quarter results Monday. It said that revenue from company-operated Hardee's restaurants rose 5.7 percent from the year-ago quarter and that same-store sales increased 5.6 percent.
:rolleyes