Safeway adopts new animal standards

PLEASANTON, Calif. According to animal rights group PETA, Safeway has introduced a number of plans to improve conditions for some of the animals killed for its stores.

PETA reported that Safeway, which is the third largest grocery chain in North America, will increase its purchase of chickens and turkeys killed by controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) and give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to CAK. The company will also purchase pig meat increasingly from suppliers that don't use gestation crates and give preference to suppliers that don't use gestations crates. In addition, Safeway will increase the amount of cage-free eggs it sells to 6% by 2010 and give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs.