animal slaughtering

The growing popularity of crispy chicken sandwiches has left restaurants chasing a relatively rare bird: small chickens. Restaurant companies, including KFC and Chick-fil-A Inc., have come to prize chickens that weigh about 4 pounds, a slimmer bird than the big-breasted varieties that have come to dominate the U.S. chicken industry.  Some fast-food chain executives say the smaller-size birds that are often used for sandwiches and chicken-on-the bone offerings are more tender and flavorful than their bigger counterparts.…

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it considered cultivated chicken made by Good Meat Inc. safe to eat, making it the second company in the growing industry to have cleared a key regulatory hurdle. Good Meat, based in Alameda, Calif., is the cultivated-meat arm of food-technology company Eat Just Inc. It is now the only company selling its chicken to consumers—but that is just in Singapore, the only country so far to permit the sale to consumers of meat grown from…

Tyson Foods Inc. TSN -0.52% plans to shut down two of its poultry plants and lay off nearly 1,700 workers as it tries to improve its chicken operations that produce about one-fifth of the U.S. supply. Tyson notified the nearly 1,000 employees at its Van Buren, Ark., chicken plant on Monday that it would close on May 12, the company said. About 700 workers at Tyson’s plant in Glen Allen, Va., also found out on Monday that its plant…

SMITHFIELD, Va.—Smithfield Foods Inc., the country’s largest pork producer, is defending its turf against growing concerns from lawmakers over Chinese control of U.S. agriculture. The Virginia company, which was acquired in 2013 by Chinese pork company WH Group Ltd. 288 -0.65% , said its ownership has helped fuel steady growth over the past decade and export more of its products to China, the world’s biggest pork market. Shane Smith,…

Chick-fil-A Inc. is reaching beyond North America with a $1 billion plan to take its signature crispy chicken-breast sandwich overseas. The Atlanta-based company said it plans to open restaurants in Europe and Asia by 2026, with locations in five international markets by 2030.   Andrew Cathy, the company’s third-generation chief executive, said in an interview that Chick-fil-A has plenty of room to grow in the U.S., but that an international presence is necessary as the family-owned business…

HONG KONG—Large American companies from fast food to high-end fashion are increasing their bets on China’s consumers in anticipation of a postpandemic rebound for the world’s second-biggest economy. Retailers Ralph Lauren Corp. and Tapestry Inc., TPR -1.18% the owner of the Coach and Kate Spade brands, are launching new stores.   And Tyson Foods Inc. TSN -1.81% and…

A food sanitation-service provider accused of hiring at least 102 children to work overnight shifts cleaning meatpacking plants in eight states has paid $1.5 million in penalties, the Labor Department said. Packers Sanitation Services Inc. illegally employed minors between the ages of 13 and 17 at 13 meatpacking facilities around the U.S., the federal agency said Friday.  The children worked with hazardous chemicals and cleaned meat-processing equipment including back saws, brisket saws and head splitters, according to…

PepsiCo Inc., Uber Technologies Inc. and Walt Disney Co. are among the companies slated to report earnings in the coming week, during an earnings season marked by cooling demand and throttled profits.  Their results will shed light on the evolving state of the economy as companies in technology and other sectors face a streak of layoffs, businesses and consumers slow their spending, and as the Federal Reserve works to quell inflation by raising…

Tyson Foods Inc. TSN -1.39% Chief Financial Officer John R. Tyson pleaded guilty to charges after being arrested in November for falling asleep in a house that wasn’t his, according to the Fayetteville, Ark. prosecutor’s office and the district court. Mr. Tyson, great-grandson of the meat giant’s founder, agreed to pay a $150 fine each on charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass, admitting guilt, officials said. With fees,…

Cargill Inc. said its chief financial officer, Jamie Miller, is stepping down for another opportunity as the agricultural giant reshuffles its executive leadership.Ms. Miller will leave Cargill on Jan. 13, the Minneapolis-based company said on Monday. She joined Cargill about a year and a half ago from General Electric Co. , where she served as CFO for just over two years. She was the first woman at the industrial conglomerate to hold the top finance role.…