RSPCA Assured at McDonald's
McDonald’s uses 100% pork sourced from British, RSPCA Assured farms on its entire UK menu.
This means all sausage and bacon available at McDonald’s, from their breakfast McMuffins to additional toppings in salads and burgers, are all from British RSPCA Assured farms and have been since 2013.
McDonald’s has also been using only free-range eggs for over 20 years.
McDonald’s is committed to higher welfare standards, which is why back in 2008, it launched its Range Enrichment Programme, which promotes the planting of trees to encourage hens to make use of the entire range.
The canopy cover created is similar to the environment that laying hens would experience in their natural habitat, encouraging them to roam further. All producers that supply McDonald’s are now required to plant a minimum of 20% tree cover on their ranges. To date, over half a million trees have been planted on ranges across the UK and Ireland, as part of this programme.
McDonald’s has shown that it is possible to bring higher welfare food to the everyday consumer at an affordable price and on a national scale, so much so that they won the RSPCA Assured award for commitment to Farm Animal Welfare in 2017.
We hope this will encourage other restaurants and restaurant chains to follow McDonald’s lead and inspire more farmers to adopt the RSPCA’s welfare standards, improving the lives of even more farm animals.
We are known for our great-tasting food made from quality ingredients, and for us, ensuring that this comes from sustainable sources is one of our top priorities. Therefore we are proud to only work with approved suppliers who adhere to our own high standards of animal welfare.
- Nina Prichard, Head of Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing at McDonald’s UK & Ireland