As one of the most recognizable brands in the world, McDonald’s has tremendous power over the lives of animals — especially chickens. Hundreds of millions of birds are bred each year for McDonald’s menu items such as McNuggets and McChicken sandwiches. Sadly, the chickens raised and killed for McDonald’s endure horrific treatment.
Chickens are emotional and intelligent animals capable of suffering. In order to make things better in their chicken supply chains, over 150 companies, including many of McDonald’s competitors, have already put in place clear rules. It’s time for McDonald’s to step up to the plate and do the same.
ShaRhonda Dawson, mother of two McDonald’s-loving children, agrees. She even penned a petition calling on McDonald’s to change.
McDonald’s is one of the biggest fast food chains in the world, with about 69 million customers every day. Because they have so many locations and customers to feed, they need to buy a lot of high-quality ingredients. Chicken is one of their most popular menu items, from McNuggets to McChicken sandwiches. But where exactly does all this poultry come from?.
As one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, McDonald’s has a complicated network of approved suppliers who must meet strict standards. They get chicken from a number of companies, but Keystone Foods, Lopez Foods, and Cargill are some of their main suppliers. Let’s look more closely at these big suppliers and how McDonald’s gets its chicken in general.
Keystone Foods
Keystone Foods, a subsidiary of Brazilian meat company JBS, is one of McDonald’s biggest suppliers. They provide a significant amount of chicken for McDonald’s menu items, including the famous Chicken McNuggets. Keystone has processing plants and distribution centers across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. This global reach allows them to efficiently deliver large volumes of meat to McDonald’s locations worldwide.
To meet McDonald’s expectations, Keystone Foods employs stringent food safety procedures at their facilities. Their chicken goes through various quality checks during processing to ensure it is safe for consumption. McDonald’s also audits Keystone’s operations regularly, keeping close oversight on their supply chain.
Lopez Foods
While Keystone provides a lot of McDonald’s chicken, they are not the only key supplier. Lopez Foods, headquartered in Oklahoma, is another major provider for McDonald’s US operations. They deliver chicken products to distribution centers and restaurants across the country.
Lopez Foods has a strong focus on animal welfare in their farming operations. They have specific guidelines for raising chickens humanely and ethically. McDonald’s values this commitment to responsible animal agriculture in their partner suppliers.
Cargill
Cargill makes and sells food, agricultural, financial, and industrial goods and services all over the world. Their poultry business in North America is based in Springdale, Arkansas, and makes fresh and cooked chicken products for McDonald’s.
With facilities across America, Cargill can efficiently supply large volumes to meet McDonald’s substantial demand. Their proximity to McDonald’s restaurant locations also enables timely delivery of perishable poultry.
Diverse Network of Suppliers
While Keystone Foods, Lopez Foods and Cargill make up a significant portion of their supply, McDonald’s also sources chicken from many other companies. They contract with over 2,000 independent farmers and companies in the US alone.
This diverse network of suppliers provides flexibility and mitigates risk. If any single supplier faces an issue, McDonald’s has alternative sources to call upon. Multisourcing chicken also allows them to choose suppliers located closest to each restaurant for optimal freshness and fast delivery.
Rigorous Standards
No matter which supplier they use, McDonald’s has strict rules for all of their protein providers. Their suppliers have to get approval from groups like the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Every so often, McDonald’s own food safety and quality experts check out the facilities as well.
From the farm to the processing plant, McDonald’s expects humane treatment of chickens by their suppliers. They also demand strict adherence to food safety protocols during rearing, transportation and processing. This ensures the quality and integrity consumers expect from the McDonald’s brand.
What we’re asking of McDonald’s
Chickens are bred to get so big and so fast that their organs and legs often can’t even hold their bodies up. If a human baby grew as quickly, they’d be 660 pounds at just two months old. Learn more.
Opportunity for natural behaviors
Trapped in barren sheds with little to no environmental enrichment, chickens are unable to engage in most natural behaviors. Birds need clean litter to dust-bathe in, things to peck at like straw bales, and places to rest. Learn more.
Undercover Footage Reveals Horrible Conditions of McDonald’s Chickens | NowThis
FAQ
Where does McDonald’s buy their chicken from?
Keystone’s US operations are proud to provide McDonald’s with the best beef, chicken, and fish products, including more than 150 million pounds of beef, 300 million pounds of chicken, and 15 million pounds of fish every year.
Where do McDonald’s get their chicken selects from?
McDonald’s U. K. sources chicken from many countries including the U. K. , Holland, France, Thailand and Brazil. The chickens from these countries are reared and audited to farm assurance standards.
What chicken supplier does McDonald’s use?
We only use quality 100% Australian RSPCA Approved chicken, supplied by familiar brands like Baiada and Inghams. The whole eggs we use in our breakfast muffins come from Australian farms like Pace Farm and Sunny Queen Farms.
What company supplies McDonald’s chicken?
Per McDonald’s website, Keystone Foods provides more than 150 million pounds of beef, 300 million pounds of chicken, and 15 million pounds of fish each year. Dec 8, 2024.