Mo. Never mind the bad old days, when slaughterhouses were dark places filled with blood and terror. As far as the world's No. 1 hamburger vendor is concerned, Happy Meals start with happy cows. That was the message delivered in February by a coterie of McDonald's consultants to a group of 140 managers who oversee the slaughter of most of the cattle and pigs Americans will consume this year. From now on, McDonald's says, its suppliers will be judged not only on how cleanly they slaughter animals, but also on how well they manage the small details in the final minutes. Starting with cheerful indoor lighting.
Bright lights are a distraction.
And only indoor voices, please. So much attention on atmosphere may seem misplaced, given that the beneficiaries are seconds away from death. But McDonald's, like much of the meat industry, is serious when it comes to convincing the public of its compassion for the cows, chickens and pigs that account for the bulk of its menu. Bloodied in past scrapes with animal rights groups, McDonald's has been positioning itself in recent years as an ardent defender of farm animals. It announced last year it would no longer buy eggs from companies that permit the controversial practice of withholding food and water from hens to speed up egg production.