ST. LOUIS, Mo. — PETA has announced its purchase of 60 shares of Panera Bread, in an attempt to use its position as a stockholder to move the company toward using only chickens and turkeys killed by "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK).
According to the organization, with CAK, the oxygen that birds breathe is slowly replaced with inert, nonpoisonous gasses, putting the birds "to sleep" quickly and painlessly. Studies of CAK conclude that in addition to being the least cruel form of poultry slaughter, it results in economic benefits.
PETA and Panera executives have begun to discuss animal welfare and, as a result, Panera has started to investigate CAK and is urging its poultry suppliers to do the same, the organization claims.
As part of its campaign to move the food industry toward implementing CAK, PETA has become a shareholder in nearly 40 companies, including McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.
