10 October 2008, at 11:56a.m.
UK - Fast food chain McDonald's took major honours for animal welfare in the RSPCA Good Business Awards 2008 at the Natural History Museum in London on Thursday.
McDonald's was the winner of the Restaurant Chain Award for its commitment to the use of free range whole eggs in restaurants across Europe and a pledge that all egg ingredients in products in the UK were free range by September this year.
The restaurant chain was also commended in the award for the implementation of a poultry round table to determine a long term strategic approach to the humane killing of chickens.
McDonald's was applauded for its strong support of research into animal welfare improvements across the whole industry through funding the Food Animal Initiative (FAI).
Dean McKenna, Head of Supply Chain at McDonald's UK said: "We're delighted to have received this award in recognition of our continued work to maintain and improve farm animal welfare.
"It is also a reflection of the important work the farmers and suppliers that we work with have done to put these improvements into practice. The award is therefore a joint achievement which we value greatly.
"We believe that the animal welfare developments that we work on not only benefit the McDonald's business but also the wider farming industry as a whole as it helps to raise the bar in terms of the welfare of farmed animals. We are very proud to play a part in this."
The awards were judged by independent panels of industry experts based on criteria set out by the charity.
Other awards went The Norway Inn in Truro, Cornwall as the best independent restaurant for displaying a commitment to higher welfare through a strong traceability policy, best supermarket to Marks and Spencer for its clear and evidence-based animal welfare audit, and its commitment to ensuring the welfare credentials of its processed pork products, such as Parma ham and Pepperfield Farm in Dalton-on-Tees, Yorkshire, as the best independent food retailer for its humane rearing and slaughter policies, and its continuing drive to educate customers from farm to fork by running informative opening days.
David Bowles, RSPCA head of external affairs, said: "We congratulate all the winners for setting a higher standard for animal welfare in their respective industries, and flying the flag for what is ethically right.
"The RSPCA now wants to see their examples being followed by other companies in the UK. Consumers are now more demanding than ever about the provenance of the products they buy, and companies need to shape up to meet these demands."