Roast beef giant Arby’s plans to remove from its supply chain companies that use crates that animal rights activists say make it virtually impossible for mother pigs to turn around during pregnancies.
Gestation crates, which are not much bigger than the sows themselves, are used in more than 80 percent of the pork industry and confine the pig to one position during their pregnancy, according to The Humane Society of the United States. Pigs consistently impregnated can spend years confined to the crates.
“Arby’s is committed to only working with suppliers who have policies in place to work towards the elimination of gestation crates on sow farms,” the Atlanta-based company posted on its website. “We believe there are more humane and sustainable alternatives to gestation crates and are actively collaborating with our suppliers to implement solutions that align with our company’s commitment to animal welfare.”
Arby’s joins McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Subway and grocers such as Whole Foods, Kroger and Harris Teeter that have already or an in the process of eliminating suppliers who use the practice from their supply chains. Several of the companies, such as McDonald’s, said they won’t fully end using the suppliers until later in the decade because the practice is so widespread there would not be enough pigs to meet demand.
Arby’s could not be immediately reached to determine if the company plans to stop using the suppliers immediately or if the chain would phase them out over time.
Humane Society Spokesman Josh Balk praised Arby’s and said the group worked with the chain for a year on the issue.
“It’s terrific that Arby’s is helping the industry move in this direction,” he said.
