Petition to Ban Crates

More than 4,300 people have signed a petition urging pork-products company Hormel to ditch the practice of confining pigs to gestation crates. Sows are kept in the crates, which prevent the pigs from walking or even turning around, before, during, and after repeated four-month pregnancy cycles. Several US states and the European Union have already passed legislation to outlaw the cruel practice, and many companies, including Burger King, Quiznos, and Chipotle, have been phasing out products from suppliers that use the crates. The petition to Hormel, the producer of Spam, Bacon Bits, and other meat-based products, began in early 2011 and is directed at the company’s President and CEO, Jeffrey Ettinger.