Temple Grandin resigns KFC post

In a public relations SNAFU of monumental proportions, KFC asked their animal welfare consultants to sign an agreement preventing them from speaking publicly about its policies on animal welfare. Two of them have pointedly resigned over the issue. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University, the most well-known and respected voice in animal handling, led the walkout followed by Ian Duncan of the University of Guelph.

Grandin commented in a story filed by Reuters News Service, "I resigned because there is a document that I can't sign. I feel very strongly that I can talk freely to the press about how the program's working, what's been going on with the program." Duncan agreed with her position.

Grandin works with McDonald's Corp., Wendy's International Inc., and Burger King Corp. and has advised the American Meat Institute, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Cattlemens Beef Association on animal handling issues.

Losing someone of Grandin’s stature when PETA has KFC squarely in their sites will cost YUM! Brands, owners of the KFC franchise, some serious good will and believability as they attempt to take on the radical and media savvy special interest group and its "intellectually" underendowed spokesperson Pamela Anderson this summer.