KFC switches to halal chicken across Canadian chains

All KFC restaurants will be halal across Canada by the end of 2024. Photo: Canva

Although many argue it makes good business sense, the decision by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Canada to switch to halal chicken has upset some customers.

KFC has been serving halal chicken (which abides by Muslim dietary restrictions) at almost all its Ontario restaurants since May, but it’s only been discovered now.

KFC has not answered questions about why restaurants in the Ontario cities of Thunder Bay and Ottawa are currently excluded from the policy – it’s likely due to processors in those areas not being able to meet KFC volume requirements for halal chicken – but all KFC restaurants will be halal across Canada by the end of 2024.

Call for reversal

One person on X (formerly Twitter,) has started a petition for KFC to reverse the decision, pointing out that only 5% of Canadians are Muslim and that “the loud minority [now] dictates the policies”. There are also calls for a KFC boycott. Another X user noted that “Additionally, they are removing pork products from their menu. @KFC will soon no longer be a diversified brand.”

However, in a letter to restaurant franchise owners in May, KFC leaders noted that the change to halal chicken provides more “diverse and inclusive options”.

Other people have encouraged the public to buy from KFC’s competitors instead. However, The National Post newspaper reports that “chicken-centric chains Popeyes, [Canadian chain] Mary Brown’s, Church’s Texas Chicken and Nando’s all [already have] halal offerings on their menus”.

Humane slaughter?

The Post article also points out that there are “some valid humanitarian concerns” about halal slaughter, which is mainly interpreted as requiring the slitting of the animal’s throat while the animal is conscious and not stunned. However, “some Muslim groups [in Canada] have argued that stunning is not necessary for smaller animals… In practice, most halal slaughterhouses in Canada and the US use some form of stunning.”

Indeed, another person on X notes that “this [boycott of KFC] has nothing to do with religion. Halal slaughter is inhumane, and I will never support animal cruelty”.

Muslim population

The Daily Mail reports that Ontario has more than half of Canada’s entire Muslim population – about 4.9%. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reports that Canada’s population surpassed 41 million people in the first quarter of 2024, and that this milestone was reached less than 1 year after Statistics Canada announced that the population hit the 40 million mark. The population grew by 242,673 people during the first quarter of 2024.

This mean Canada’s population has grown by about 1.25 million people in a little over a year. “Almost all the population growth in Canada (99.3%) in the first quarter of 2024 was attributable to international migration,” reports Stats Canada, which many argue is unsustainable in terms of housing, medical services and more. However, it seems to be a good development for KFC and Canada’s other chicken-centered restaurants.