The McRib sandwich appears once a year at McDonalds restaurants - and that's one time a year too many for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The HSUS alleges that the suppliers of the McRib sandwich engage in cruel and inhumane practices with regard to the treatment and conditions of the pigs used to create the sandwich, according to the UK Daily Mail.
The major fast-food sandwich chain obtains the meat used in its barbecue pork sandwich from Smithfield Foods. Agents working with the HSUS obtained video of the inadequate, cramped conditions of the pigs at the Smithfield Foods facility. The video obtained by the HSUS shows the pigs - weighing upwards of 500 pounds - cramped into cages so small they cannot turn around or move. The Los Angeles Times reports that many of the pigs were covered in blood.
As a result of what the animal rights organization deems inadequate, cruel and inhumane circumstances, the HSUS has filed a complaint with the Security and Exchange Commission. The complaint doesn't directly address the cruelty. Instead, the legal complaint against the McRib meat supplier alleges misrepresentation of the company's practices - a federal violation.
In response to the lawsuit, Smithfield Foods has issued a statement vowing to remove the offending stalls by 2017 - not soon enough for many animal welfare activists. McDonald's also released a statement in support of the filing - stating that their corporate polices disavow animal cruelty in any form. The letter, as released to ABC News, also states the corporation's continued support for Smithfield Foods as it works to remedy the inadequate conditions.
Smithfield Foods didn't take the lawsuit laying down. Just one day after the lawsuit was filed, the company launched a Twitter campaign to promote their new website outlining their commitment to animal welfare and environmental accountability. An article published in the Virginian Pilot suggests that the campaign may have backfired - most of the tweeters were more interested in Smithfield's disgusting treatment of livestock.
How do you feel about the treatment of the pigs used to make the McRib sandwiches? Do you think McDonald's stance is enough, or should they find another supplier for the McRib pork? Should Smithfield Foods face harsh penalties for the suffering of their livestock, or is the misrepresentation of their practices really the bigger issue?
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Comments: 11
It seems to me that the HSUS did nothing to see to it that the conditions were improved and now that the videos were released, they want to take the heat off themselves so they're making it look like McDonald's is responsible for using a vendor that mistreats animals. Dirty pool here, as I see it.
On the other hand, to make such a production now about a company that only uses pork once a year has to raise some questions about the Humane Society.
Have a veggie burger. It is healthier and you can feel good about your choice.
^^
I really think if people had to slay and butcher their own food... they would not be eating so much meat. It is so much different when you buy your food all wrapped up nice in containers in a grocery store... it really lessons the impact.
From what I can tell of that article, whatever videos Smithfield released portraying themselves as responsible producers, must have been widely distributed because it seems that the Humane Society became aware of them. They had already cited that farm for inhumane conditions last year sometime. I think that the HSUS was concerned that someone would find out that these videos were less than an honest portrayal. So people might have wondered where the Humane Society has been and why they haven't done anything. It was opportune for the HSUS to put the spotlight on McDonald's using thier product for their McRib promotion so that it would seem to everyone that McDonald's is the bad guy when it's really the negligence of the HSUS that they are still using these inhumane mehtods. If that were not the case, Smithfield products are widely distributed, so why hadn't the HSUS cited any other company that is distributing their products? The Food Channel chefs even use Smithfield products. Are they aware of the conditions there? Shouldn't it be the responsibility of the HSUS to make them aware?