Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 3/13/17


A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is adopting what it calls advanced animal welfare standards for farm-raised broiler chickens that wind up on its menu.

The Vancouver-based restaurant chain will take current animal welfare standards that A&W said exceed industry guidelines to a new level by working with poultry farmers, the company said in a news release. The new practices include physical enhancements allowing for “natural bird behavior” while preserving an “antibiotic-free environment.” A&W also wants to ensure that birds have a minimum of six hours of darkness in barns so that chickens can rest better at night.

The new measures also include setting barn density levels that meet or exceed standards established in the Global Animal Partnership Step Level 2. Additionally, Controlled Atmosphere Stunning is expected to be in place on chicken farms that supply A&W restaurants no later than the end of 2022, the release said.

A&W added that it is the only fast-food restaurant in Canada that serves chicken that are raised without the use of antibiotics and are provided a grain-based diet, the release stated. The new initiatives – which ultimately will affect the chain’s 860 Canadian restaurants – are already being put into place, A&W said.

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