ConAgra urges slaughter changes
OMAHA, Neb. - ConAgra Foods Inc., one of the nation's largest packaged-foods companies, said Monday it is urging its poultry suppliers to consider slaughtering chickens in a way the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calls more humane.The letter a ConAgra vice president sent to suppliers on June 29 doesn't mention PETA, but it uses some of the same arguments the animal-rights group uses to lobby for using "controlled-atmosphere killing."
Last September, ConAgra shareholders rejected a PETA proposal to research whether it would be feasible to require the company's suppliers to switch to "controlled-atmosphere killing" instead of the current method, which involves cutting chickens' throats after the birds have been immobilized with electricity.
The group was entitled to present a shareholder proposal to ConAgra because it owns 140 shares of stock, and the organization had planned to resubmit the proposal this year before ConAgra sent the letter to suppliers.
Source: Toronto Star
11 July 2006
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