The parent company for the Tim Hortons and Burger King chains has tightened up its pledge to curb the use of antibiotics by its chicken suppliers. Restaurant Brands International on Thursday released its first “Sustainability Report,” outlining its work during 2016 in support of “sustainable practices that promote positive change.” Back in late December, Oakville, […] Read more
Tim Hortons parent updates antibiotic policy for chicken
Tyson to test new method to stun chickens
Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods will test a new way to render chickens unconscious before slaughter, the company said Wednesday, in the latest sign that heightened concerns about animal welfare are affecting U.S. meat processors. Within the next year, Tyson, the biggest U.S. chicken company, will launch a pilot program at two processing plants […] Read more
Workers fired following chicken abuse video
CNS Canada — A British Columbia company tied to nationally broadcast footage of livestock abuse has laid off five workers, according to a statement from the organization Tuesday. The animal rights and vegan advocacy group responsible for capturing the video says that’s not enough, and is pursuing legal action. Employees at a Vancouver-area chicken farm […] Read more
Heritage chicks available now
Reading Time: < 1 minute University of Alberta’s hugely popular heritage chicken distribution program is now on — but hurry before they’re all gone. “This year, we’re offering Plymouth barred rock, brown leghorn, random bred broiler 1978, light Sussex and Rhode Island Red chicks,” said Jesse Hunter, program co-ordinator. “We hatch a certain number of each breed every year, so […] Read more
KFC to curb antibiotic use in U.S. chickens it buys
Los Angeles | Reuters — Yum Brands’ U.S. KFC chain plans to curb the use of antibiotics in its chicken supply, making it the last of the big three chicken restaurants to join the fight against the rise of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as superbugs. KFC, the second-biggest U.S. chicken chain by sales after privately […] Read more
A+W tightens standards for broiler suppliers’ barns
Canadian burger and root beer chain A+W has set up additional standards for broiler barns supplying chicken meat to its restaurants. On top of its existing requirements for raising birds on grain-based diets without the use of antibiotics, the company on Friday announced it would require a new maximum stocking density for birds in its […] Read more
Bird flu found in Tennessee chicken flock
Reuters — A strain of bird flu has been detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted to U.S. food giant Tyson Foods, and the 73,500 birds will be culled to stop the virus from entering the food system, government and company officials said on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said […] Read more
Chicken industry takes wing on some very creative marketing
Lowly chicken wings used to be a big problem for processors, now they are a huge and growing source of profits
Reading Time: 3 minutes If there is one thing that North Americans love to eat — it is chicken wings. During the Super Bowl game alone, one billion wings are consumed along with an ocean of beer. Canadians are right in there chowing down on the once tossed tidbit, and continue to eat a few birds each year themselves. […] Read more
Tyson accelerates shift away from antibiotics in chicken
Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods in June will switch its retail line of company-branded chicken products to birds raised without any antibiotics, a top executive said on Tuesday, accelerating the meat sector’s shift away from the drugs. The change will make Tyson, which is the largest U.S. chicken processor, into the world’s leading producer […] Read more
Which came first? The healthy chicken or the clean egg?
Alberta study sorted through a plethora of egg-cleaning methods to find the best way to reduce bacteria on eggs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cleaning eggs is critical in hatcheries in order to minimize bacteria on shells that can affect chicks when they emerge. But there’s more than one way to clean eggs. “Farmers are using many different methods to clean their eggs,” said Brenda Schneider, a poultry research technologist with the province. “Some dust them off, others use […] Read more