KFC to Offer Vegan Chicken in Canada

After years of dramatic protests outside KFC’s all over the world, the Canadian branch of the fast food giant has cut a deal with PETA to improve its chicken slaughter conditions and introduce vegan options on their menu. That’s right – vegan ‘chicken’, at KFC of all places.

From kypost.com:

“It means more choice for people who are vegetarian and more options for people thinking about it,” said David Alexander, director of operations for the Toronto Vegetarian Association.

PETA will now call off its Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign in Canada, which was supported by many celebrities including Canadians Pamela Anderson and Ryan Gosling. KFC Canada pledged to buy from suppliers who gas their chickens, what PETA calls “the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed.”

PETA will continue to press KFC in the United States and elsewhere to change its slaughter practices – and sell unchicken, as 461 KFC Canadian chain stores have agreed to do.

“KFC is sort of taking a bit of leadership on the issue,” said Alexander, a vegetarian for two years. “We’ve moved beyond the era of the veggie burger, I think.”

Interesting. Using more humane methods to slaughter their chickens is downright awesome, and a huge victory for PETA, who have practically waged war against KFC for decades. It’s awesome to see a big chain agree to rethink their slaughter practices, because, in case you’re ignorant of the issue (as many people go out of their way to remain), they really are disgusting and cruel in most cases.

It’s very surprising that KFC would be willing to offer vegan ‘chicken’, made mostly of soy, at their restaurants – but hey, it’s a good thing. Maybe some meat eaters will even make the switch, if it tastes good enough, and that would mean fewer animals being raised and slaughtered overall. And of course, vegetarians want fast food, too.

Link [kypost.com]
Photo credit: United Poultry Concerns

Tinkering with Packaging: McDonalds Looking For Ways to Suck Less

McDonalds is a GIANT corporation. I read somewhere that 27,000,000 people eat at the Golden Arches every day. I’m no fast food saint- I admit a lifelong love affair with the Big Mac. I know how disgustingly unhealthy they are (and everything else they serve), I’ve seen Super Size Me a bunch of times, but damn it all if it’s not tasty.

Anyways, McDonalds is responsible for a lot of solid waste via those 27 million daily customers and I guess they’ve been working to reduce the impact from all those thrown away fry containers and to-go bags. Here’s a video I found at Environmental Leader of Jennifer McCracken, environmental manager for McDonald’s global packing supplier showing some of the ways they are trying to make their negative eco foot print less devastating.

Video via [Environmental Leader]