Fitzgerald, McNabb IHOP Commercials
September 2, 2009 by David Kindervater
Filed under NFL - NFL
One of my favorite breakfast restaurants, IHOP (aka International House of Pancakes), has partnered with the NFL. Their “All-Pro” lineup includes AFC/NFC Stuffed French Toast, Blitz Pancakes and Quarterback Scrambles. Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb are working the commercials:
Hi Mr. Kindervater,
IHOP is being asked to begin a phase-out period of battery cage eggs with an introduction of cage-free eggs. Many of their competitors have been able to do it (Burger King, Denny’s, Brueggers, Quizno’s, Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants, Ben and Jerry’s, Hardees, four-hundred universities (the list goes on)). So the question becomes, “why can’t IHOP?”
Consumers are not requesting that much from them, honestly. These are just basic humane standards of care. Cage-free systems offer hens a higher level of animal welfare than do battery cage systems. Making these transitions over time are very reasonable steps in the humane direction.
Unlike battery hens, cage-free hens are able to walk, spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests. It is also extremely practical to still produce the same amount of eggs as would be produced in battery cage systems. Most importantly to the American population, the sanitary conditions are greatly improved in a cage-free system. Alarms should be raised over the severe food safety concerns involved with IHOP’s egg production. In the video of IHOP’s primary supplier, Michael Foods, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4YZt9zFMnY), one can see dying and decomposed chickens laying on the eggs.
Evidence shows there is more Salmonella risk in caged flocks compared to cage-free flocks. In fact, factory farming is considered the reason Salmonella emerged as such a major egg pathogen in the first place.
According to the CDC, eggs now infect 50,000-110,000 Americans every year. Data shows that operations which cram thousands of hens into tiny cages are not surprisingly up to 20 times more likely than cage-free facilities to harbor Salmonella infection.
Please call IHOP at 1-866-444-5144 and politely ask them to begin the phase-out of battery-cage eggs.
Thank you for your time.
-Emily J. Spivak