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Criticisms

Environmental concerns

KFC in the US has been accused byGreenpeace of a large destruction of theAmazon Rainforest, because the supply of soyused for chicken food that KFC receives from Cargillhas been traced back to the European KFC. Cargill has reportedly beenexporting soy illegally for several years.

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TheGreenpeaceorganization researchedthe issue and brought it to the attention of the parent company YUM! Brands, Inc.The parent company denied the illegal operation, and said that their supply of soy isgrown in parts of Brazil.

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Greenpeace has called on KFC to stop purchasing soyfrom Cargill, to avoid contributing to the destruction of the Amazon.

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Trademark disputes

In 1971, Sanders suedHeublein Inc. , KFC's parent company at the time, over the alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop. In1975, Heublein Inc. unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel after he publicly referred totheir gravy as "sludge" with a "wallpaper taste".

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In May 2007 KFC (Great Britain) requested thatTan Hill Inn, in theYorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, UK refrain from using the term 'Family Feast' to describe itsChristmas menu,

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although this problem was quickly resolved with the pub beingallowed to continue use of the term.

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Wages and working conditions

BalmoralKFC workers and allies picketing the storeLike many fast food outlets, KFC employs a high proportion of young, unskilledworkers, at or just aboveminimum wage, and its workers are not unionized. In New Zealand, KFC youth workers earn NZ$10.13 an hour. Staff at theBalmoral , Auckland store went on strike for two hours on December 3, 2005 after Restaurant Brands, thefranchise holder, offered no wage increase in contract negotiations.

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In March 2006,Restaurant Brands agreed to phase out youth rates in New Zealand, although no datewas set.Many stores inwestern Canada are unionized with the Canadian Auto Workers, and as a result many non-franchise stores in western Canada pay higher than minimumwage.

Animal rights

Protesters demonstrating outside a KFC restaurant inRoyal Oak, MichiganSince 2003,animal rights and welfare organizations, led byPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA), have been protesting KFC’s treatment of the animalsused for its products. These groups claim that the recommendations of the KFCAnimal Welfare Advisory Council have been ignored.

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Adele Douglass, a former member of the council, said in anSECfiling reported on by theChicago Times,that

KFC "never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then they touted tothe press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee. I felt like I was beingused."

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KFC responded by saying the chickens used in its products are bought from supplierslikePerdue Farms, Tyson Foods, andPilgrim's Pride,and that these suppliers are routinely monitored for animal welfare violations.

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Several PETA undercover investigations and videos of these and other KFC suppliers purporting to showchickens being beaten, ripped apart, and thrown against walls contradict KFC’sclaims.

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PETA has criticised some of the practices of chicken breeders, such as beak trimmingand overcrowding, but KFC says its suppliers meets UK legal requirements.TheDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairsrecommends a maximumstocking density of 34 kg—around 30 chickens—per square metre, and say that incircumstances where beak trimming needs to be carried out to prevent the birdsinjuring each other, only one third of the beak should be trimmed "measured from thetip towards the entrance of the nostrils".

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PETA states that they have held more than12,000 demonstrations at KFC outlets since 2003 because of this alleged mistreatmentof chickens by KFC suppliers.

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In June 2008, KFC Canada agreed to PETA's demands for better welfare standards,including favoring suppliers who usecontrolled-atmosphere killing(CAK) of chickens, and other welfare standards as well as introducing a vegan sandwich at 65%of its outlets. PETA has called off its campaign against KFC Canada, but continues todemonstrate against KFC elsewhere in the world.

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Hygiene

In February, 2007, a KFC/Taco Bell outlet in New York City was found to be rat infested. A video showing the rats running wild inside the restaurant was shown ontelevision news bulletins around the world, as well as disseminated on the internet viasites such asYouTube.

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Two KFC outlets inSydney, Australia,were fined record amounts for having unhygienic food preparation areas. Inspectors found layers of grease and dirt, as wellas evidence of vermin. The KFC stores had been repeat offenders, and had ignored previous warnings to keep their restaurants clean. They were charged with 11 breaches of food hygiene laws.

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Who is KFC

KFCCorporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the few brands in Americathat can boast about having a rich, 57-year history of success and innovation. In fact,KFC is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain, specializing in OriginalRecipe

, Extra Crispy™, Colonel's Crispy Strips

and Honey BBQ Wings

, withhome-style sides and freshly made chicken sandwiches. Since its founding by ColonelHarland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been serving customers delicious, already prepared complete family meals at affordable prices. There are over 15,000 KFCoutlets in 105 countries and territories around the world..Every day, more than six million customers around the world make KFC partof their lives. KFC’s menu everywhere includes the traditional OriginalRecipe ® chicken and coleslaw -- made with the same great taste ColonelHarland Sanders created nearly half a century ago. Customers also can enjoymore than 400 other KFC products tailored to the unique tastes of our individual customers.

KFC’s vision is to be “America’s Leading Kitchen forConvenient Meals” and to feed every family a great-tastingmeal at least once a week. This reinforces KFC’s longtradition of giving families an alternative to cooking -- atradition dating back to the late 1950s when Colonel Sandersadvertised that he was “Cooking Sunday Dinner Seven DaysA Week ”.Community and Corporate Involvement

Everyone knows that the local KFC restaurant is one of the best places in theneighborhood to get delicious, quick and affordable meals. But perhaps youdidn’t know that your neighborhood KFC restaurant contributes more to thecommunity than good food.KFC, its restaurants and its employees, are involved in countless projects that benefit the African American community and contribute to the local economy.Working with the Opportunities Industrialization Center, KFC has initiatedmany youth hiring and training programs in several inner-city communitiesacross the country.KFC is a major corporate sponsor of the Louisville Defender newspaper’sMinority Consumer Expo and Career Education Fair .KFC helps underwrite the Fullwood Foundation, established by KFCfranchisee Harlow Fullwood Jr. to support community projects in Baltimore’sinner city.In 1996, KFC launched the KFCares program in Louisville, which will enableeach local KFC restaurant manager to award a check for up to $1,000 to aworthwhile project in the neighborhood around his or her restaurant.KFC provides food and volunteer staffing to hundreds of social service centersin cities around the country.

Economic Impact

KFC restaurants are much more than convenient places to get a deliciousmeal. They contribute millions of dollars to the local neighborhood economy, providing benefits to individuals and communities across the country.KFC offers employment opportunities to neighborhood residents. Nearly all of the 15-30 employees needed for each restaurant come from the immediatearea, and much of the money they earn is spent in their own neighborhoods.KFC restaurants support a broad spectrum of products and services in their local areas, including poultry dealers, produce suppliers, courier services,furniture and much more.KFC restaurants generate tax dollars for their communities, supportingimportant services like police and fire protection.With more than 400 restaurants in inner-city neighborhoods across thecountry, KFC is already a major employer for urban residents. But we’redoing more. In 1995, KFC began a program to renovate and upgrade many of our inner-city units. KFC will spend about $100,000 per restaurant onrenovations, which include upgrading lobbies, adding security lights and evenselling Taco Bell products in some units. Each of these renovated restaurantswill add about 20 new workers.