via CNN
McDonald’s and Target dropped an egg supplier this week after an activist group released disturbing video showing what it says shows animal cruelty at three of the company’s barns.
The undercover video, released by Mercy for Animals, was allegedly shot between May and August at facilities run by Sparboe Farms in Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota. It shows hens crammed in crowded cages, workers burning beaks and one, trying to shove a bird inside the pocket of a co-worker, apparently for fun. Another worker presses his thumb against the back of a chick’s neck until it breaks.
“Regarding the undercover videos, the behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable. McDonald’s wants to assure our customers that we demand humane treatment of animals by our suppliers. We take this responsibility — along with our customers’ trust — very seriously. It’s important to note that the most alarming actions on video did not occur at Sparboe’s Vincent, Iowa, facility that supplies McDonald’s. Nonetheless, our extremely high standards for our suppliers prohibit this conduct,” McDonald’s said in a statement, announcing its decision to cut ties with Sparboe Farms.
Target similarly said it was dropping Sparboe Farms, which describes itself as the fifth-largest shell egg producer and marketer in the United States.
The Minnesota-based egg supplier said it first heard about the abuse allegations from ABC News, which conducted an investigation of the company.
Sparboe Farms launched an internal investigation upon learning about the undercover video, which was shot by an animal activist hired under false pretenses, according to Beth Sparboe Schnell, president and owner of Sparboe Farms.
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Art6icle courtesy cnn.com
