November 27, 2003

Activists In Taipei Protest KFC's Treatment Of Chickens

Animal rights activists sat down in a cage outside a KFC fast food restaurant Thursday in Taipei, protesting alleged cruel treatment of chickens by the company.

The activists, members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, held signs reading "KFC Tortures Chickens" outside an outlet across from the National Taiwan University campus.

One PETA member inside the cage, Jason Baker, a lawyer based in Hong Kong, alleged KFC's parent company - U.S.-based Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) - was guilty of several inhumane practices in raising chickens.

"The chain continues to breed animals to grow so quickly that they are crippled by their own weight," Baker said. "We don't want (KFC) to turn into a vegetarian restaurant. We only want them to implement minimum standards."

PETA wants KFC poultry suppliers to abolish force feeding, increase cage space per chicken, and change the way the animals are slaughtered. Gas killing should be used instead of electric stunning and throat slitting, Baker said.

A KFC spokesman rejected the criticism. "The animals are raised within the strict standards set by the health authorities," Taiwan-based Lin Shang-teh told reporters.