Consumers Demand Animal Protections

Restaurants, meat plants compelled to consider animal welfare before mealtime The life of a chicken isn't something most people have had to think about when frying up an omelet, at least not since we all lived on farms. But, increasingly, people are asking how much air their meat and poultry got in their tails before they died, and just what their diets consisted of. So, the size of the chicken coop and the grass fed to the cow is now high on the list of priorities for many customers browsing the meat counter. And that means it's high on the list for restaurants, meat packers, and every other link in the long chain that brings meat, eggs and dairy products from the farm to the grocery store. It's a classic example of conscious consumers making demands, and seeing those demands reflected -- slowly, over time -- in the marketplace. Today's Green Pantry item: Pasture-Raised Chicken For more ethical and green recipes and information daily, visit New Green Cuisine.