The heat is on

摘要

Animal welfare is back in the spotlight as retailers and ranchers review industry guidelines for animal care and handling. Lately, the grill isn't the only thing heating up at Applebee's, a national chain of more than 1,300 casual restaurants. Applebee's is under fire for its recently announced plan to adopt an animal welfare policy many say is not based on science. In a December 2001 letter to suppliers, Applebee's followed in the footsteps of McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's by requiring suppliers to adhere to "minimum animal welfare standards" and to work to "continuously improve the minimmn living conditions of animals." Applebee's went beyond that, however, by asking suppliers to refuse product from producers who brand animals. Unlike McDonald's and Burger King, Applebee's stepped a lot more into the production side, says Chad Vorthmann, associate director of technical services for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). "A lot of prior guidelines had focused on the slaughter plant, making sure animals were stunned properly and things of that nature," he says. "Applebee's stepped back further than that and showed some misunderstanding of what we do on the farm."