A national animal-rights group is mounting a scathing statewide ad campaign taking Wendy's International to task for the eggs the company buys.

One ad declares: "What's Wendy's attitude toward animal welfare? Frosty."

Through the radio and newspaper ads, the Humane Society of the United States is urging Wendy's to increase its purchase of eggs laid by hens housed in barns, not cages, and cut its purchase of eggs laid by caged hens.

Wendy's says it is focusing animal-welfare efforts on pork and chicken, areas where it can make the most difference, rather than eggs, because it buys relatively few. "We're not in a position to impact the issue," said Bob Bertini, a Wendy's spokesman.

The Humane Society of the United States notes, however, that Wendy's rival Burger King said it will phase in a cage-free policy, and by the end of the year the eggs would account for 5 percent of its total. Burger King is a major fast-food breakfast provider; Wendy's is just beginning to reintroduce breakfast.

The group's effort to shame Wendy's into making changes is an example of "activism" marketing, said H. Rao Unnava, a marketing professor at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business.

Consumers are generally more receptive to such messages because more people have fears and opinions about the environment and the food chain, he said.

"In the past, these messages would have largely been ignored, but because a larger fraction of society is interested in these types of issues, organizations are successfully using public opinion to try to make companies more accountable," Unnava said.

Not everyone thinks the group's approach is a good one. In a statement yesterday, the Ohio Poultry Association denounced "the scare tactics employed by extremist groups used to 'bully' responsible restaurant operators like Wendy's International."

The poultry industry supports both caged and cage-free production, said Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association.

Caged hens live in a space the size of a letter, and can't roost, stretch their wings or engage in other natural behaviors, said Paul Shapiro, a senior director with the Humane Society in Washington.

However, Chakeres said, because caged birds are in a more controlled environment, they are subject to fewer diseases such as salmonella, which is "a definite advantage." He said research hasn't shown a difference in production or longevity between caged and cage-free birds.

The Humane Society ads began airing on Ohio radio stations and appearing in Ohio newspapers last week. An ad appeared in The Dispatch yesterday.

The Humane Society of the United States is a nonprofit group but is separate from the American Humane Association, the nation's oldest organization for animal protection.

 

While Shapiro acknowledges that eggs from cage-free hens can cost as much as 60 cents per dozen more than eggs from caged hens, "the hidden cost in animal cruelty is higher."

In 2005, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. which owned a small number of Wendy's shares as does the Humane Society, pressed its animal-rights agenda. It asked Wendy's to report on the feasibility of asking suppliers to phase in a system that renders chickens unconscious before they're slaughtered.

Last month, Wendy's announced it will give preference to suppliers that explore and test that system for poultry, and said the company would buy more pork from suppliers that allow pregnant sows to move around freely.

"That's where our focus is right now. We're not able to do everything at once," Bertini said.

mcuret@dispatch.com tturner@dispatch.com