TORONTO — Restaurant Brands International recently partnered with Mercy For Animals to develop new policies regarding the humane treatment of broiler chickens in both Burger King and Tim Hortons’ supply chains.
Burger King and Tim Hortons have both pledged to use only chicken that meets the welfare standards laid out by Global Animal Partnership (GAP), an international farmed animal welfare certification program. These standards will require chicken suppliers to breed only higher-welfare strains of chickens, reduce the stocking density of the birds, improve light levels and litter quality inside barns, and use controlled atmosphere stunning to render the birds unconscious before slaughter.
“We have been so pleased to work with Burger King and Tim Hortons to develop their progressive broiler welfare policies,” says Krista Hiddema, VP of Mercy For Animals in Canada. “It is certainly a testament to the time that two of Canada’s largest quick-service brands are committed to meeting GAP standards, and we are confident the rest of the Canadian food industry will soon follow.”
