The Globe and Mail reports the farm was under contract to Tyson, which supplies chicken to McDonald’s for its McNuggets.
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The animal rights group, Mercy for Animals, has released the video as an attempt to raise awareness of animal cruelty in the food industry.
The video was released by Mercy for Animals, an animal rights group that says it has released more than 40 similar videos in the past. “We are now investigating this matter but based upon what we know, we are terminating the contract with the grower”, said Christine Daugherty, the vice president of sustainable food production for Tyson Foods.
The video which is a mix of separate events recorded at the farm over the course of three weeks shows employees stomping on chickens’ necks, caging them in really tight places, and beating them with a long stick with a sharp spike attached at one of its ends. McDonald’s said that it also supplied the chicken in other items such as its McChicken sandwich and deep-fried and grilled chicken fillets.
The farm in Tennessee identified by Mercy for Animals could not immediately be reached.
One of them then says “you didn’t see that” straight into the camera before dumping the animal’s lifeless body in a bucket. This includes the Tyson FarmCheck program that involves third-party auditors who check on the farm for such things as animal access to food and water, human-animal interaction and worker training.
Tyson Foods, which supplied chickens from the farm to McDonald’s, said in a statement it was investigating the allegations of cruelty.
But that’s not it. Mercy of Animals have also asked McDonalds to adopt a number of animal welfare policies which includes the stopping of animal breeding with chemicals, giving them enough space to breed and allow a better mechanism to produce meat.
“We’re especially concerned about the inappropriate methods used to euthanize sick and injured chickens”, Tyson said in a statement supplied by spokesman Gary Mickelson.
In response, both Tyson and McDonald’s have cut ties to the farm, and have reaffirmed their stance on animal welfare.
Matt Rice, director of investigations for Mercy for Animals, that this is not uncommon.
MFA also posted a petition against Tyson Foods in its official website. We met with law enforcement to turn over the video footage and provided a detailed legal complaint.
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An investigator for the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office said the agency had opened an investigation into the farm and was working with prosecutors.
