On Friday 2 October, activists from the animal rights organisation GAIA took to the streets of Brussels, Charleroi and Antwerp to provide free pots of hen-friendly mayonnaise to customers of the fast food chain, Quick. The purpose of this action "Boycott-cot" is to encourage Quick to stop using eggs from battery-reared hens in their sauces, salads and desserts. "Two days before World Animal Day, we invite Quick and its customers to choose a more humane alternative," said Michel Vandenbosch, President of GAIA.
Out of concern for the welfare of laying hens, as well as for customer demands, many restaurants, supermarket chains and food brands have already stopped using eggs from battery-caged hens. This is the case for McDonald's, Pizza Hut or Subway which have already taken the plunge and have even gone further than the current legislation, which bans traditional battery cages but continues to allow so-called “enriched” cages, scarcely better than the old battery cages. "Despite our discussions over the last five years with the company, Quick still refuses to reconsider the kind of eggs it uses," laments Michel Vandenbosch.
"Such a gesture would nevertheless have the direct consequence of allowing thousands of hens to escape a life of misery, enclosed in a battery cage where the available space is barely larger than a sheet of A4 paper," said Vandenbosch, before concluding: "Two days before World Animal Day, we invite Quick and its customers to choose a more humane alternative for hens."
All those who wish can act today for laying hens. Just go to www.boycotcot.be and, with one click, you can send a protest e-mail to Quick. A list of the brands involved is also available.
