Golden Arches execs aim to distance the Egg McMuffin from images of overcrowding, suffocation, and abuse.
Do you want to eat animal cruelty for breakfast? (Photo: Monica Stevenson Photography/GettyImages)
Chalk one up for the chickens. After animal activist group Mercy for Animals released videos of grievous mistreatment at Sparboe Farms in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado, McDonald’s and Target dropped the egg supplier late last week, according to The Associated Press.
This is major news, since Sparboe isn’t exactly a tiny operation. The Minnesota-based company churns out 300 million eggs a year, and McDonald’s’ officials say the company is a “significant” supplier.
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What, exactly, did Mercy for Animals catch on tape? It’s pretty graphic: Overcrowded hens in cramped cages, a worker swinging a chicken around by its feet, male chicks being thrown into plastic bags to suffocate and workers casually snapping the necks of fuzzy yellow chicks. That’s the power of video – once the world caught a glimpse of what was going on, officials at the Golden Arches needed to distance their family-friendly image (not to mention their Egg McMuffins) from the horrifying animal cruelty.
“The behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable,” said Bob Langert, McDonald’s’ vice president for sustainability, in a statement. “McDonald’s wants to assure our customers that we demand humane treatment of animals by our suppliers.” According to Mercy for Animals, McDonald’s is the largest egg purchaser in the United States.
With the loss of two major clients and public pressure mounting, Sparboe officials scrambled to disassociate themselves from the cruelty late Friday. Beth Sparboe Schnell, Sparboe Farms’ president and owner, told the AP that the company was “shocked and deeply disturbed” by the video and that an internal investigation identified and fired four employees “who were complicit in this disturbing activity.”
Large factory farm owners know the power of images, which is why they’ve lobbied hard for legislative attempts to ban filming and photography on farms without the owner’s permission. A Florida bill with this intent died in the House this past May, though a similar bill introduced in Minnesota—Sparboe’s home base—is still pending.
Though the food giant has done the right thing this time, don’t be surprised if McDonald’s and Sparboe find themselves back in bed together. McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa McComb wouldn’t rule it out.
“We’re not going to turn around in a month and work with them again,” McComb told the AP. "But we would never say never.”
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