CARPINTERIA Calif. CKE Restaurants Inc., the parent of the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains, has pledged to begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that meet certain standards for the humane treatment of animals.
CKE officials said the move stems from an agreement reached with suppliers and activist group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. CKE has pledged to immediately begin purchasing 15 percent of its pork from suppliers that do not use gestation crates to confine sows. The company plans to increase that rate to 25 percent by 2009.
In addition, 2 percent of the eggs CKE purchases will come from cage-free hens by next July.
CKE also plans to give consideration to poultry suppliers that explore and test controlled-atmosphere stunning systems, which animal-rights activists consider a more humane slaughtering method.
Miami-based Burger King chain set similar goals earlier this year, when it announced it would start buying 10 percent of its pork from suppliers that don't use gestation crates and 2 percent of its eggs from suppliers that have eliminated cages. The chain said at the time that it intended to boost the proportion of humanely raised pork and eggs to 20 percent and 5 percent, respectively, by the end of this year.
Burger King also indicated that it would favor chicken suppliers that use more humane slaughter methods.
Carpinteria-based CKE operates, licenses or franchises 1,111 Carl's Jr. and 1,909 Hardee's restaurants in 42 states and 13 countries.