Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which holds shares in Tyson Foods Inc., said Tuesday it filed a shareholder resolution asking the top U.S. meat company to phase in a more humane method of chicken slaughter.
PETA, best known for its campaigns against fast-food companies, wants Tyson to switch to so-called controlled-atmosphere killing, a method the group has said is already being used by some European processors.
PETA contends that Tyson's chickens sometimes have their throats slit or are scalded to death while still conscious, a method it deems inhumane. In controlled-atmosphere killing, chickens are put to sleep quickly and painlessly using argon or nitrogen gas, the group says.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the Springdale, Arkansas company "continues to research controlled-atmosphere stunning for poultry" and added that "animal well-being experts are divided over whether it is more humane" than the process currently in place.
Mickelson would not comment specifically on PETA's proposal, saying Tyson has not historically stated its position on shareholder resolutions until its annual meeting notice and proxy statement have been issued.
Earlier this year, PETA accused Tyson of cruelty to chickens after it sent an undercover agent to videotape a Tyson slaughterhouse in Heflin, Alabama.
Late last year, PETA withdrew a similar shareholder proposal asking McDonald's Corp. to look into the alternative slaughter method after the company said it would issue a report on the subject by June of this year.
In that report, McDonald's said it was "premature" to make any commitment to controlled-atmosphere killing and that its "current standards for animal welfare are appropriate for the company's global supply chain at this time."
