Tyson Foods Under Fire for Inhumane Slaughter of Poultry

From: THE AGRIBUSINESS EXAMINER
June 6, 2005, Issue #408 Monitoring Corporate Agribusiness From a Public Interest Perspective

EDITOR\PUBLISHER; A.V. Krebs
E-MAIL: avkrebs@earthlink.net
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TYSON FOODS SAYS IT WILL INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF INHUMANE TREATMENT DURING CHICKEN SLAUGHTER

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Tyson Foods Inc. said Wednesday it will investigate allegations of inhumane chicken slaughter, but contended that an undercover animal-rights photographer apparently violated company policies by videotaping "what he should have been preventing."

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, distributed videotapes and launched a Web site accusing Tyson of mutilating birds and scalding thousands while they were conscious in an Alabama slaughterhouse. The group also said its videotape shows workers tearing heads off live
chickens.

Tyson, the world's largest poultry processor, said a veterinarian from its Office of Animal Well-Being will look into the allegations.

Tyson also raised the possibility of evidence manipulation by PETA's undercover agent, who was employed at the Heflin, Alabama, facility for several weeks.

It said the man had signed a document confirming he had completed the company's animal-welfare training "and was responsible for ensuring that no birds remained alive. His job gave him the responsibility to process any live birds, stop the line or sound an alarm if there was a problem.

"Instead, it appears PETA's agent violated Tyson's animal-welfare policy by allowing some conscious birds to go into the scald tank for the sole purpose of videotaping what he should have been preventing.

"We also take issue with PETA claims of manual decapitation of live birds," Tyson said in a statement. "We believe the carefully edited video is showing birds that have already been cut by an automatic knife and are either dead or have been rendered unconscious."

Responding to the company's statement, PETA said its investigator had been "taught to rip the animals' heads off by a plant supervisor, for when there are too many who miss the neck slicer."

The group also said the man tried to slow the processing line but quit because the plant's policy allowed a certain number of birds to be scalded while conscious.

Tyson said it continues to research the use of a procedure that PETA has urged the industry to adopt. It uses an inert gas to stun the chickens before they are killed. "Experts are divided over whether it is more humane," the company said.

Last year, PETA brought charges of animal abuse against Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which subsequently fired several chicken slaughterhouse workers caught on videotape. West Virginia officials decided not to bring criminal
charges.

PETA has an ongoing campaign seeking to convince the KFC unit of Yum Brands
Inc. to insist its suppliers use controlled-atmosphere slaughter procedures. In afternoon trading, shares of Tyson slipped 23 cents to $18.77 on the New York Stock Exchange.
[May 25, 2005 ]