Animal care considerations have been a core element of Wendy’s quality assurance and supply chain practices for decades and many of the requirements we’ve developed for our suppliers have set the standard for the quick-service restaurant industry. We are guided by our long-standing relationships with progressive industry experts, many of whom serve on our Wendy’s Animal Welfare Council, and our data-based approach to animal welfare. Over the last few years, we have expanded the council to include expertise in auditing, animal science, well-being and behavior, with specialties across our key protein categories. We have tasked the council with helping us raise the standards we apply to our protein supply chain and the process for driving continuous improvement. In 2020, we announced the first milestone of that effort, the Wendy’s Animal Care Standards Program.

To inform the development of new standards, the Wendy’s Animal Care Standards Program uses a detailed assessment tool that allows us to recognize progressive suppliers, better track farm conditions and animal care and quantify the results. While we’ve long conducted animal welfare audits to monitor, verify and evaluate proper animal handling, we are now cataloguing the animal welfare best practices across our key proteins (beef, pork, chicken, eggs and dairy) through this program and aiming to gain greater visibility further back within our supply chain.

Not all suppliers have implemented these standards to date. Wendy’s expects to have a comprehensive accounting of animal welfare best practices for beef, pork, chicken, eggs, and dairy by the end of 2024, which will allow us to identify progressive work and give preference to suppliers who go the extra mile.