Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) has announced plans to adopt more humane chicken standards.
The way these animals are raised in order to produce poultry for restaurants is often cruel and destructive, harming their skeleton and their natural motion due to the manner in which they are cooped up.
Broiler chickens often live in small sheds that contain no natural light. The litter situation is quite dismal as the animals fill themselves with their droppings and no one takes care of cleaning the floor until the animals are taken to the slaughter.
Litter and droppings can cause burns on the animals’ legs and feet, while also harming their eyes and lungs. Now, Chipotle is making a commitment alongside Compassion in World Farming USA and the Humane Society of the U.S. to carry out new standards for the chicken they obtain for food.
The animals will now live in a more natural environment with better and cleaner housing conditions in the form of larger coops. Natural light will be added to the mix in order to ensure that the animals have something resembling a natural life before they are carried out to the slaughter.
The slaughtering process will also be improved as it will be controlled, reducing the pain the animals lead and taking their lives in a more graceful manner.
CMG shares fell 0.1% Wednesday.
