McDonald's will be looking for a new egg supplier for their McMuffins after a group called Mercy For Animals released footage from an undercover investigation of animal cruelty at Sparboe Egg Farms, one of their suppliers.
After viewing the footage, Oak Brook-based McDonald's said in an issued statement that they would no longer be accepting their eggs from Spargoe, and said "the behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable."
"McDonald's expects all of our suppliers to meet our stringent requirements for delivering high quality food prepared in a humane and responsible manner," McDonald's Vice President of Sustainability Bob Langert, said in the statement.
The hidden-camera footage shows hens being crammed into wire cages, workers burning the beaks of young chicks without pain killers, live chicks thrown into plastic bags and workers tormenting the animals.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF ANIMAL CRUELTY. WATCH WITH CAUTION.
The president and owner of Sparboe issued a letter on the website saying they are launching an internal investigation and management changes have taken place. They said they have identified four employees involved in the activities, and they have been terminated.
MFA urged the McDonald's Corporation to end its use of eggs from hens in battery cages, and according to its website, said there are no federal laws that provide protection for the birds at the factory farm or during slaughter.
Mercy For Animals is a national non-profit organization that works toward preventing cruelty to farm animals.
