Animal Rights Group Claims Abuse By Koch Foods, Chick-Fil-A
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Backed by undercover video recorded at chicken processing facilities owned by Chicago-based Koch Foods, an animal rights group was calling out the company and Chick-Fil-A to adopt more humane practices.
WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports Mercy for Animals screened the videos for reporters in Chicago on Thursday, claiming live chickens were slammed into crates, dumped in scalding hot water to remove their feathers, and killed by having their chests and throats cut open.
"This is sickening animal abuse that no company with morals should support," said Nick Cooney, director of education at Mercy for Animals.
The videos were recorded at a Koch Foods slaughterhouse in Tennessee and a Koch Foods farm Mississippi.
"Chickens are literally tortured to death," Cooney said.
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He noted chickens are excluded from the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
"If Koch Foods executives tortured even one dog or cat the way its suppliers do millions of chickens, they would be thrown in jail," Cooney said.
Koch Foods has not returned calls for comment.
Chick-Fil-A said it wholly supports the humane treatment of animals, and when the videos were filmed earlier this year, Koch Foods was no longer a supplier for its restaurants.
"As a values-based organization, we strictly partner with suppliers who share in our goal of responsible environmental stewardship, and maintain our values throughout all animal welfare and management practices. We wholly support the humane treatment of all animals and do not condone their mistreatment at any point along the supply chain," Chick-Fil-A officials said in an email.
According to Chick-Fil-A, Koch has not been a supplier since April 2013.
Cooney disputed that, and said he can prove otherwise.
"We have audio recordings, and video recordings documenting that these facilities did supply – and we believe do supply – Chick-Fil-A," he said. "We think it's unfortunate that Chick-Fil-A is trying to distance itself from the abuse."
Mercy for Animals has a vegan agenda, but Cooney said they are trying to get companies that supply meat products to be more humane to the animals they use for food products.
***WARNING: VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT***
