A McDonald's moment for the broiler chicken industry?

In August, the Humane Society of the United States put the poultry industry on notice: With the cage-free egg war all but won, the group would train its fire on broiler chicken producers. “As we look to the future, our focus is likely to shift toward broiler welfare issues,” Josh Balk, the senior food policy director, wrote in a letter to CEOs of major poultry companies, extending an offer to talk privately.  If anyone doubted the Humane Society’s resolve, they got their answer Thursday, when two of the biggest food vendors in the country, Compass Group USA and Aramark, announced they would source only humanely raised chickens by 2024. The companies, which cater to cafeterias across the country, said they would begin buying chicken raised with more space, perches, hay and natural light — embracing the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-step program for animal welfare. The companies also said they would switch to controlled-atmosphere stunning, a process that renders birds unconscious before slaughter.