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No Bird In This Bucket

Joel Sartore/Getty Images; Mark Lennihan/AP Photo; Michael Winokur/Getty Images

No Bird In This Bucket

By Aili McConnon

Call it finger-lickin’ good-for-you. Starting July 1, KFC Canada will offer a vegan version of its chicken sandwich in 500 of its 750 outlets. (So far, no plans for a crispy or extra-crispy bucket of the un-chicken.) The company, owned by Ontario-based Priszm Income Fund, says it also will switch to a more humane way of slaughtering fowl. The moves follow “straightforward” talks with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says KFC Canada President Steve Langford, adding that PETA is “someone you would prefer not to be your enemy.” The group has conducted “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” protests in Canada for the past five years. PETA says it has asked KFC’s U.S. operations, owned by Yum! Brands, to follow Canada’s lead. Company spokeswoman Laurie Schalow says there are no immediate plans to put the un-chicken on U.S. menus.