KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is the world's largest chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants, headquartered in Louisville,

Kentucky in the United States. An "American icon", it is the second largest restaurant chain after McDonald's, with over 17,000 outlets in 105 countries and territories [2][5] (December 2011). It was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant inCorbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. Colonel Sanders was an early pioneer of the restaurant franchising concept, with the first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" franchise opening in Utah in the early 1950s. Its rapid expansion saw it grow too large for Sanders to manage, and he eventually sold the company to a group of investors. Despite this, his image was still used as branding, and he worked as a goodwill ambassador for the company until shortly before his death. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, KFC had mixed success at home as it went through a series of corporate owners who had little or no experience in the restaurant business, although it continued to expand in overseas markets. In the early 1970s, KFC was sold to the spirits firmHeublein, who were taken over by the R.J. Reynolds conglomerate, who sold the chain to PepsiCo. PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division (also including Pizza Hut and Taco Bell), as Tricon Global Restaurants, which later changed its name to Yum! Brands. KFC's two major single markets are in its home country and China, which together contain around half of its outlets. The chain primarily sells fried chicken pieces and variations such as chicken burgers (chicken sandwiches [US]) and wraps, as well as side dishes such as Potato wedges and coleslaw, desserts and soft drinks, often supplied by PepsiCo. Its most famous product is pressure fried chicken pieces, seasoned with Sanders' "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices. The exact nature of these ingredients are unknown, and represent a notable trade secret. KFC is famous for the slogan "finger lickin' good", which has since been replaced by "So good", and "Nobody does chicken like KFC". KFC has been targeted by the animal rights organization PETA, although KFC executives have protested that the chain is unfairly singled out for criticism. The chain has also been accused of contributing to the destruction of the world's rainforests with unsustainably sourced cardboard and paper packaging.
Contents
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1 History 2 Operations

o o o o

2.1 United States 2.2 United Kingdom and Ireland 2.3 China 2.4 Other international operations

3 Original Recipe 4 Advertising

4.1 Logos and trademarks

5 Controversies

5.1 Animal cruelty

o o o o

5.2 Indian protests 5.3 Health 5.4 Alleged rainforest destruction 5.5 Allegation of racial stereotyping

6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

History

The Harland Sanders Caf and Museum

See also: Colonel Sanders Born and raised in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders passed through several professions in his lifetime, with mixed success. Sanders first served his fried chicken in 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression at a gas station he owned in North Corbin, a small city on the edge of theAppalachian [6] Mountains in south eastern Kentucky. The dining area was named Sanders Court & Caf and was successful enough for Sanders to be given the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel in 1936 by the Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon. The following year Sanders expanded his restaurant to 142 [7] seats, and added a motel he purchased across the street. When Sanders prepared his chicken in his original restaurant in North Corbin, he prepared the chicken in an iron frying pan, which took about 30 minutes to do, too long for a restaurant operation. In 1939, Sanders altered the cooking process for his fried chicken to use a pressure fryer, resulting in a greatly reduced cooking time comparable to [8] that of deep frying. Not only did production speeds increase but the method produced flakier, [9] moister chicken. Between 1939 and 1940 Sanders devised what came to be known as his Original [10] Recipe of 11 herbs and spices.

The first KFC franchise, located in Salt Lake City

The Sanders Court & Caf generally served travelers, often those headed to Florida, so when the route planned in the 1950s for what would becomeInterstate 75 bypassed Corbin, he sold his

properties and traveled the U.S. to sell his chicken to restaurant owners. The first to take him up on the offer was his friend Pete Harman in South Salt Lake, Utah, the operator of one of the city's largest [11] restaurants; together, they opened the first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" outlet in 1952. The restaurant's sales in the first year more than tripled, with 75 per cent of the increase from fried chicken [12] sales. For Harman, the addition of fried chicken was a way of differentiating his restaurant from his [13] competitors; in Utah, a product hailing from Kentucky was unique, which made it seem special. A [13] sign painter hired by Harman coined the name "Kentucky Fried Chicken". Harman produced the [13] company's first training manual and product guide. He also trademarked the phrase that would [14] become the company's slogan, "It's finger lickin' good". It was Harman who in 1957 first bundled 14 pieces of chicken, five rolls and a pint of gravy in a paper bucket to offer families "a complete meal" [13] for $3.50 ($29 in 2012 dollars). He says he took on the project as a favor to Sanders, who had called on behalf of a Denver franchisee who didn't know what to do with the 500 buckets he had [13] bought from a traveling salesman. At the time Harman sold his first bucket meals, the chain was little more than a network of independent restaurants that paid pennies per order for Sanders' "secret blend of herbs and spices" and the right to feature his recipe chicken on their menus and use his [14] name and likeness for promotional purposes. The popularity of the bucket meals ultimately made it feasible to open free-standing KFC restaurants, according to Harman, "by giving you enough volume [14] to justify a manager and pay the overhead". Freestanding stores led to a faster growth rate for the [14] chain because those specialized operations proved easier to sell to would-be franchisees. An early franchisee from 1962 was Dave Thomas, who created the rotating bucket sign that came to [15] be used at most KFC locations in the US. Thomas encouraged Sanders to appear in the KFC television commercials, helped him to simplify the chain's menu of over 100 items to just fried chicken and salads, and was an early advocate of the take-out concept that Pete Harman had [14] pioneered. Thomas sold his shares in 1968, becoming a millionaire in the process, and went on to [15] found the Wendy's restaurant chain. By 1964, Kentucky Fried Chicken was sold in over 600 franchised outlets in both the United States and Canada. Sanders sold the entire KFC franchising operation in 1964 for $2 million ($14,987,124 in 2012 dollars), payable over time at a three per cent interest rate, to a group of investors headed [16] by John Y. Brown, Jr. and Jack C. Massey. The sale included a lifetime salary and the agreement [17] that he would be the companys quality controller and trademark. According to Massey, when the offer was first touted to Sanders it was difficult to know how he felt about the deal - he would dismiss it [18] one day and talk about it as if it were inevitable the next. Massey knew that Sanders believed in astrology and waited until Sanders had a particularly positive and dramatic horoscope before [18] making a definitive offer. Massey went into Sanders office and made him a written offer. Sanders [18] looked at the figure, opened up his drawer, read his horoscope, and agreed to sell it. Sanders apparently became disenchanted with the deal, telling the Washington Post, "I don't like some of the things John Y. done to me. Let the record speak for itself. He over-persuaded me to get [19] out." Massey and Brown changed the restaurant's format from the diner-style restaurant envisioned [20] by Sanders to a standalone fast-food take-out model. Giving all their restaurants a distinct red-andwhite striped color pattern, the group opened over 1,500 restaurants, including locations in all 50 U.S. [20] states and several international locations. The concept caught on because it was the best chicken most people had ever tasted and took a dish that had been a Sunday dinner treat and made it an [21] everyday staple. Massey and Sanders did not like each other, and the Colonel grew incensed when Massey decreed that company headquarters would be in Nashville, Tennessee, and not in [21] Kentucky. He bellowed, "This ain't no goddam Tennessee Fried Chicken, no matter what some [21] slick, silk-suited sonofabitch says." Brown did not like the idea either, but Massey owned 60 per cent of the company, and Brown 40 per cent, and Massey wanted company headquarters to be near

his home. Brown claims that he brought order and efficiency to a chaotic management structure, [21] and treated the increasingly disgruntled Sanders with tact and patience.

[21]

A young Harland Sanders

Colonel Harland Sanders, in character

Sanders' nephew Lee Cummings left the company after the sale to found the Lee's Famous Recipe [22] Chicken chain. In 1966, at Massey's insistence, the company went public. By this time Sanders regretted selling his company, and exchanged his $1.5 million worth of stock for the exclusive rights to [23] the company's Canadian activities. Later that year Massey resigned from the company and Brown [21] announced that headquarters would be moved toLouisville, Kentucky. According to Sally Denton, Massey left the venture with a "sour taste in his mouth", and refused to discuss the former partnership [19] [20] publicly. By 1967, KFC had become the U.S.'s sixth largest restaurant chain by volume. By 1968, Kentucky Fried Chicken was the largest fast-food business in America and in 1969 it was listed on [18] the New York Stock Exchange. In August 1970 Colonel Sanders and his grandson Harland Adams resigned from the board of directors. In a New York Times article, Sanders stated, "[I] realized that I

was someplace I had no place being. ... Everything that a board of a big corporation does is over my [24] head and I'm confused by the talk and high finance discussed at these meetings." The company, once too large for the Colonel to handle, grew too mammoth for John Y. Brown as well. In July 1971 Kentucky Fried Chicken was taken over by Connecticut-based Heublein, a specialty food [25] and alcoholic beverage corporation, for $285 million ($1,635,529,992 in 2012 dollars). Heublein planned to increase Kentucky Fried Chicken's volume with its marketing know-how. Through the 1970s the company introduced some new products to compete with other fast-food markets. As management concentrated on overall store sales, they failed to notice that the basic chicken business was slacking off. Competitors' sales increased as Kentucky Fried Chicken's dropped. At this time a Texas firm, Church's Chicken, began making inroads into KFC's market share with "Crispy [26] [27] Chicken". In 1972 KFC introduced "Extra Crispy Chicken". In 1974 Sanders complained of the declining food quality: My God, that gravy is horrible. They get tap water, mix it with flour and starch and end up with pure wallpaper paste. Another thing. That new crispy recipe is nothing in the world but a damn fried doughball stuck on some chicken."
[28]

The outburst prompted a KFC franchisee in Bowling Green, Kentucky to unsuccessfully attempt to [29] sue Sanders for libel. In 1973 Heublein attempted to sue Sanders after he opened a restaurant in [30] Shelbyville, Kentucky under the name of "Claudia Sanders, the Colonel's Lady Dinner House". In 1974 Sanders counter-sued Heublein Inc for $122 million ($574,931,174 in 2012 dollars) over the alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop, and for hindering his [31] [31] ability to franchise restaurants. A Heublein spokesman described it as a "nuisance suit". In 1975 Heublein settled out of court with Sanders for $1 million ($4,319,109 in 2012 dollars), continued his salary as goodwill ambassador and allowed his restaurant venture to go forward as "Claudia Sanders [30] Dinner House".

KFC logo used from 1997 until 2006

In 1976, Sanders complained that the company "doesn't know what it's doing" and that is was [32] "downright embarrassing" to have his image affiliated with such an inferior product. Michael Miles was promoted by Heublein to run the chain in 1977 and is credited with turning around the ailing [33] company by instituting a back-to-basics formula. One of Miles' most notable strategies was to lure [33] Sanders back onside, and to listen to his recommendations for the business. Miles also embarked [33] on an extensive store refurbishment program, as outlets had become dated and run-down. Sanders

passed away in 1980, having continued to travel 200,000-250,000 miles a year, largely by car, [12] promoting his product until shortly before his death. In 1982, Heublein was purchased by R.J. Reynolds, who had to contend with the introduction of Chicken McNuggets across the McDonald's chain in 1983. Reynolds sold their restaurant division [34] in 1986 to PepsiCo for a book value of $850 million ($1,802,185,792 in 2012 dollars). Reynolds sold the chain to pay off debt related to its recent purchase of Nabisco and in order to concentrate on [35] its tobacco and packaged food business. PepsiCo made the chain a part of its PepsiCo Worldwide Restaurants division alongside Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, and it was anticipated that they would bring [35] their merchandising expertise to the firm. In 1991 the KFC name was officially adopted, although it [36] was already widely known by that initialism. The early 1990s saw a wave of new product launched throughout the chain, such as spicy "Hot Wings" and popcorn chicken, as well as the "Zinger", a spicy [37] chicken fillet sandwich, for international markets. In 1993, non-fried chicken was added to menus in [38] the United States and Australia for the first time. In 1994 Roger Enrico was appointed as the CEO of the ailing PepsiCo Worldwide Restaurants, and David C. Novak was appointed President of KFC [39][40] and charged with turning around the ailing company. Novak oversaw 10 quarters of consecutive growth at the restaurants after introducing new products such as thechicken pot [40] pie and marinated chicken. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as a public company valued at $4.5 billion ($6,514,925,373 in 2012 dollars) in order to pay off short-term debt and because, as one PepsiCo [41][42] executive admitted, "restaurants weren't our schtick". According to one analyst it was not clear whether the $4.5 billion was a fair return on PepsiCo's investment, given that much of Pepsico's debt [43] had arisen from investment in its capital-intensive restaurants. The company was named Tricon Global Restaurants, and at the time had 30,000 outlets and $10 billion in sales ($14,477,611,940 in [44] 2012 dollars), making it second in the world to only McDonald's. It was renamed Yum! Brands in 2002. The original KFC franchise restaurant in Salt Lake City was rebuilt in 2004 to incorporate a small museum. From 2002 to 2005 KFC experienced three years of weak sales, when underinvestment in product development left the brand looking "tired and poorly positioned", [42] according to Restaurant Research, an independent consultancy. KFC responded by adding a cheap hot chicken burger to the menu, called a Snacker, which is easier to eat than chicken on the [42] bone. It also began a makeover of the brand image, bringing back the full Kentucky Fried Chicken name at some outlets, giving new prominence to touched-up portraits of Colonel Sanders, and [42] promoting once more the cardboard buckets of chicken it had abandoned briefly in the 1990s.

Operations
See also: List of countries with KFC franchises

A co-branded Taco Bell/KFC inMorrisville, North Carolina

KFC is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, United States in a building on 1441 Gardiner Lane known colloquially as "The White House" due to its resemblance to the Washington [45] D.C. building. The company moved into the $3.7 million building in July 1970 (equal to $22,142,931 [45] today). The building is described as "an antebellum-style mansion...complete with six three-story[46] [1] high columns and a flagpole." It is incorporated in the US state of Delaware. KFC is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. In 2011 it earned an estimated [4] $9.2 billion in sales revenue. As of 2011, there were over 17,000 KFC outlets in 105 countries and territories around the world, although almost half of the total are in the United States and China. According to Bloomberg Businessweek in 2012, [KFC has] the distinction of being both the best performer and the biggest headache in the [Yum! Brands] family. In emerging markets such as China, India, and Africa, its a muscular player bursting with optimism, innovation, and growth potential. China was home to 3,701 KFC outlets at the end of last year; McDonalds had 1,464. In Africa, KFC plans to enter seven new countries this year (including Uganda, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and expects to generate $2 billion in sales from 1,200 KFCs across the continent by 2014. In the U.S., which is still KFCs largest market with 4,780 units, it has closed restaurants and lost share to rivals such as Chick-filA and Popeyes. The goal there has been less to rebuild than to refranchise, reducing the percentage of company-owned KFCs from 35 percent about a decade ago to 5 percent by the end of this year.
[46]

KFC adapts its menu internationally to suit regional tastes. There are over 300 KFC menu items [40] worldwide, from a chicken pot pie in the United States to a salmon burger in Japan. In Asia there is [47] a preference for spicy foods, such as the Zinger chicken burger. KFC's primary product is pressurefried pieces of chicken made with the "Original Recipe". The company also sell chicken burgers, wraps and a variety of finger foods, including chicken strips, wings, nuggets, and popcorn [48] chicken. Popcorn chicken consists of small pieces of marinated, breaded and fried chicken. Grilled [26] chicken products are available in 4,000 outlets. Side dishes vary regionally, but often include coleslaw, french fries or potato wedges, barbecue baked beans, corn on the cob and American biscuits. Because of the company's previous relationship with PepsiCo, Yum! Brands has a [49] lifetime drinks supply contract to supply Pepsi products. An own brand dessert is the soft serve ice cream product known as "The Avalanche". An own brand drink is the Krusher/Krushem which are [26] frozen beverages containing "real bits", available in 3,700 outlets. In 2012 the KFC breakfast menu [50] began to be rolled out internationally.

United States
In the USA, many KFC locations are co-located with the other Yum! Brands restaurants, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Many of these locations behave like a single restaurant, offering a single menu [51] with food items from both restaurants. The first such combination, a KFC-Taco Bell, opened [52] in Clayton, North Carolina in 1995. Some locations were also opened as combinations of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut; this experiment has been described as a "failure" and was satirized in the [46] film Young Adult (2011) as a "Kentacohut". Low US sales in 2008 were blamed by David Novak on a lack of new ideas and menu [53] items. Kentucky Grilled Chicken was launched in Spring 2009, although this did not stem the sales [54] decline for long. In 2010 Novak announced a turnaround plan that included improving restaurant [54] operations, introducing value items and providing healthier menu options. In

2011 Bloombergreferred to KFC USA as "an also-ran to McDonald's Corp". [46] speculated that KFC will spin off its failing US operations.

[55]

Some analysts have

In the United States, KFC's largest chicken supplier is Tyson Foods, who dominate the industry, with [56] other major suppliers including Pilgrim's Pride and Perdue.

United Kingdom and Ireland

England had the first overseas franchise for Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964. England also had the first overseas branch, which opened in Preston in the North West in May 1965, and was the first American fast food restaurant chain in the country, pre-dating the arrival of McDonald's, Burger King [40][57] and Pizza Hut by a decade. There are 840 KFC restaurants in the UK and Ireland, making it one [58] of the largest international KFC operations. The KFC business employs over 8,000 people in the [40] UK with the restaurant ownership split 40 per cent equity and 60 per cent franchised. System sales were over $1 billion in the UK and Ireland in 2009, having more than doubled in the past 5 years, [40] serving over 100 million meals per year. In 2009, KFC UK was awarded 2nd place in Britain's Top [40] Employers and was in the top 50 of Britain's Great Places to Work. In the early days most business [6] was done after 8pm, with the primary customer being young men arriving from the pub. In the UK, KFC sells 60,000 metric tonnes of chicken annually, 60 percent of which is produced in the [59] UK and delivered fresh to outlets, a minimum of three times a week. The remaining 40 per cent is [60] sourced from Europe, Thailand and Brazil. All of their Original Recipe chicken is sourced within the [60] UK. The majority of KFC products, including their bread, beans, sauces and salads when [61] seasonally available, are sourced from the UK. KFC claim that their Original Recipe chicken is the [62] same chicken as can be bought in the supermarket. The most popular menu item in Britain is the mini fillet burger with annual sales of more than 19 million, followed by snack box popcorn chicken (14 [63] million) and the boneless meal for one (12 million sales plus).

China
In China, where KFC first opened in 1987, it is the largest Western restaurant chain, with over 4,000 branches, and China is one of the only countries in the world where McDonald's is not the [64] dominant fast food chain. KFC believes it has been successful in China because it has adapted its [5] menu to suit local tastes, offering such items as fish, porridge and egg tarts. From 2006, as well as KFC, Yum! also operate the East Dawning chain which incorporates Chinese cuisine alongside the [65] traditional KFC menu items. In 2008, Yum's chief executive, David Novak, said that he envisions eventually having more than 20,000 restaurants in China. "We're in the first inning of a nine-inning ball [5] game in China."

Other international operations

KFC in SM City Baliuag, Philippines.

The first Australian KFC was built in Guildford on the western suburbs of Sydney in 1968, and by [66][67] 2010 there were 600 outlets. The first Japanese KFC opened in Kobe in 1970, but did not [68] [69] become profitable until 1976. In 2007, Mitsubishi Corp took over KFC Japan. In Quebec, KFC styles itself PFK (Poulet Frit la Kentucky) in a strategy to avoid prosecution [70] under Bill 101. The highest volume unit KFC in the world is in Paris' Les Halles area. Volumes in France are higher as France's fast-food customers tend to prefer full meals with desserts, which [70] brings the average sale to between 6 and 8 (about $8 to $10.50). The 100th French outlet [26] opened in 2010. KFC Holdings is the franchisee of over 640 KFC restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, [71] Cambodia and India and is publicly quoted on the Bursa Malaysia. In Indonesia, where it first opened in 1979, it is the largest Western restaurant chain, with over 420 branches, and Indonesia is [citation needed] one of the only countries in the world where McDonald's is not the dominant chain.

Countries with KFC restaurants

Original Recipe

KFC Original Recipe fried chicken

Sanders' "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices remains a trade secret, and is a benchmark by [60][72] which KFC differentiates its product from those of its competitors. Pete Harman credits the chain's popularity to the recipe and the product, and John Y. Brown credits the "incredibly tasty, [73] almost addictive" product as the basis of KFC's staying power. It is believed that Sanders only ever [74] shared the recipe with his wife Claudia, Pete Harman and his wife, and Jack C. Massey.

KFC claim that portions of the recipe are blended in two different locations, and then mixed at a third, [40] so that none know the complete recipe. A copy of the recipe, signed by Sanders, is kept in a vault [75] in corporate headquarters, along with 11 vials containing the recipe's herbs and spices. According to Yum! Brands, portions of the secret recipe are known by a select few among its executives, but [76] only two people in the entire organization know it in its entirety. A third executive knows the [77] combination to the safe where the handwritten recipe resides. Only a handful of KFC employees know the identities of the three executives, who are not allowed to travel together on the same plane [77] or in the same car for security reasons. One of the two executives said that no one had come close to guessing the contents of the secret recipe, and added that the actual recipe would include some [60] surprises. In September 2008 the handwritten recipe was temporarily moved to an undisclosed location under tight security while KFC revamped the security at its headquarters. In February 2009 the recipe returned to KFC's Louisville headquarters in a more secure, computerized vault guarded [78] bymotion detectors and security cameras. Reportedly, the paper has yellowed and the handwriting [79] is now faint. In 1983, writer William Poundstone examined the recipe in his book Big Secrets. He reviewed Sanders' patent application, and advertised in college newspapers for present or former employees [80] willing to share their knowledge. From the former he deduced that Sanders had diverged from other common fried-chicken recipes by varying the amount of oil used with the amount of chicken being cooked, and starting the cooking at a higher temperature (about 400 F (200 C)) for the first minute or so and then lowering it to 250 F (120 C) for the remainder of the cooking time. Several of Poundstone's contacts also provided samples of the seasoning mix, and a food lab found that it consisted solely of sugar, flour, salt, black pepper and monosodium glutamate (MSG). He concluded that it was entirely possible that, in the years since Sanders sold the chain, later owners had begun [81][82][83] skimping on the recipe to save costs. Following his buyout in 1964, Colonel Sanders himself expressed anger at such changes, with Ray Kroc quoting him as saying: That friggin' ... outfit .... They prostituted every goddamn thing I had. I had the greatest gravy in the world and those sons of bitches-- they dragged it out and extended it and watered it down that I'm so [82][83] goddamn mad! Allen Adamson, managing director of brand consultancy Landor's New York practice, remains unconvinced about the contribution of the secret formula aspect. He argues: "The story may still be part of these companies' folklore, but I'd be surprised if more than two per cent buy the brand because [84] of it."

Advertising

Kentucky Fried Chicken logo used between 19521978

The "It's finger lickin' good" slogan originated in the 1950s. A viewer had complained after an [85] advertisement featured someone in the background licking his fingers. Its star, a KFC manager [85] called Ken Harbough, responded: "Well, it's finger lickin' good." The phrase stuck and went on to [85] become one of the best-known catchphrases of the 20th century. The trademark expired in the [86] United States in 2006, and was replaced in that market with "Follow your taste" until 2010. In 2011, the 50 year old "finger lickin' good" slogan was dropped in favor of "So good", to be rolled out [85] worldwide.

[85]

Early advertisements for KFC regularly featured Sanders, and the Colonel made several appearances as himself or fictionalised version of himself in variousB movies and television programs of the period, [87] such as What's My Line? and I've Got a Secret. Despite his death in 1980, Sanders remains a key symbol of the company in its advertising and branding. Throughout the early 1990s, KFC hired actors [88] to portray the Colonel in its advertisements. However, consumers failed to embrace the look-alike [88] and the tactic was abandoned. From 1998, an animated version of the Colonel, voiced by Randy [36] Quaid, was used for television advertisements. KFC chief concept officer Jeff Moody said of the [89] adverts that they, "provide a fresh way to communicate our relevance for today's consumers".

Logos and trademarks

The first KFC logo was introduced in 1952 and was used until 1978. It featured a "Kentucky Fried Chicken" typeface and a logo of the Colonel. It was replaced in 1978 with a similar logo, albeit with a similar typeface and a slightly different Sanders logo. The "KFC" logo was introduced in 1991 and featured red stripes. A change in 1997 added a smiling Colonel prominently to advertising. In 2010 the logo was updated to feature the Colonel in an apron. Since 2005 the original 1950s logo has [90] occasionally been used at some US locations. In May 2007, KFC (Great Britain) requested that the Tan Hill Inn in the Yorkshire Dales refrain from [91] using the term "Family Feast" to describe its Christmas menu. KFC quickly backed down however [92] after the story received national press attention and negative publicity for the chain. A similar [93] occasion occurred in 2009 regarding a small UK takeaway using the "Family Feast" term. The takeaway refused to cease using the term, and KFC backed down after the story attracted [93] widespread media attention.

Controversies
Eric Schlossers book Fast Food Nation (2002) and Morgan Spurlock's film Super Size Me (2004) were two prominent critiques of fast food and its consequences, although the focus was primarily on [13] McDonald's. KFC itself has been the target of negative publicity from PETA's anti animal cruelty campaigning.

Animal cruelty

Protesters demonstrating outside a KFC restaurant in Royal Oak, Michigan

Since 2003, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have been protesting KFCs treatment of the animals used for its products with the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign. PETA states that they have held more than 12,000 demonstrations at KFC outlets [94] since 2003 because of alleged mistreatment of chickens by KFC suppliers. In 2004 an employee at a Pilgrim's Pride KFC supplier in West Virginia filmed chickens being kicked, stamped on and thrown [95] against a wall by workers. On one day he filmed, workers made a game of throwing chickens

against a wall; 114 were thrown in seven minutes. A supervisor walking past the pile of birds on the [35] floor said, "Hold your fire," and, once out of the way, told the crew to "carry on." The employee also saw workers "ripping birds' beaks off, spray painting their faces, twisting their heads off, spitting [97] tobacco into their mouths and eyes and tying their legs together for 'laughs'". The plant had won [35] KFC's "Supplier of the Year" award in 1997. After officials at KFC saw the videotape they said they would seek dismissal of the workers, inspect the slaughterhouse more often and end their relationship [35] if the cruelty was repeated. The company that owns the slaughterhouse, the Pilgrim's Pride [35] Corporation, the second-largest poultry processor in the US, said it was "appalled" by the tape. The video resulted in 3 managers and 8 hourly workers being fired and KFC suspending their business [97] with the plant. KFC claimed that the PETA campaign was a "mischaracterisation" of the company, issuing the following press statement, Pilgrim's Pride is one of our many suppliers, and we are just one of many fast food companies that buy from this Moorefield, West Virginia facility. In fact, we only buy 15% of all the product this facility produces - our other fast food competitors buy the other 85%. So why did PETA single us out? Why did they mischaracterize this Pilgrim's Pride facility as a "KFC facility?" Why did they attempt to make it look like we raise and process chickens, when they know we do not? We think it's outrageous that PETA is unfairly singling out KFC. They've done this because we're the most recognized brand selling chicken today, and our name, Kentucky Fried Chicken, is synonymous with chicken. So we have become their target. The truth is, we sell about 5% of all the chicken in America today -- that's less than the leading burger chain. But because our brand stands for chicken, they've targeted their campaign on us. Not on any other supermarket or QSR chain. Yet these companies buy their chicken from the same suppliers you do - like Pilgrim's Pride. You didn't see them hold today's press conference in Texas, where Pilgrim's Pride is located. They held it here to try to exert pressure on us.
[98]

[96]

In June 2008, KFC Canada agreed to PETA's demands for better welfare standards, including favoring suppliers who use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) of chickens, and other welfare standards as well as introducing a vegan burger at 65% of its outlets. PETA has called off its [99] campaign against KFC Canada, but continues to demonstrate against KFC elsewhere in the world.

Indian protests
The first Indian KFC was opened in the city of Bangalore in June 1995. This resulted in protests from the left wing, anti-globalisation and environmental campaigners and local farmers, who believed [101] that KFC was bypassing local producers for specific suppliers. Many Indians protested the onslaught of consumerism, the loss of India's self-sufficiency, and the disruption of India [102] traditions. The protests came to a head in August 1995, when the Bangalore outlet was ransacked [100] at least twice. The Bangalore outlet demanded, and received, a police van permanently parked [101] outside it for a year. M. D. Nanjundaswamy claimed that KFC would adversely affect the health of the impoverished, by diverting grain from poor people to make the more profitable animal [103] [103] feed. Former environment minister Maneka Gandhi joined the protestors. KFC was also accused of using illegally high amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and frying its food [104] in pork fat. A store in Delhi was closed by the authorities, purportedly for health reasons, but more likely to avoid a repetition of the Bangalore incident. KFC responded by keeping a low profile during [105] its initial years in the country, and introduced vegetarian dishes tailored for the Indian market. In
[100]

2012, a KFC outlet in Trivandrum was temporarily shut down after worms were reportedly found in a [106][107][108] chicken sandwich.

Health

A Vietnam KFC shrimp burger in 2007

Since its founding, Sanders and KFC used cottonseed or corn oil for frying. In the 1980s the [109] company began to switch to palm or soybean. This oil contains relatively high levels of trans fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. In October 2006, KFC said it would begin frying its chicken in trans fat-free oil in the United States. This would also apply to their potato wedges and other fried foods, however, the biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes would still contain trans fat. Trans fat-free soybean oil was introduced in all American KFC restaurants in the U.S. by April 30, [10] 2007. However, outside the United States the company has continued to use other types of oil that have drawn criticism over their health effects. In Australia, KFC was reported to be using palm oil with up to [110] 1 per cent trans-fat and 52 per cent saturated fat content as late as 2007. In 2011, chains across the UK and Ireland stopped using palm oil and switched to healthier rapeseed oil to reduce saturated [111] fats across its range by 25 per cent and cut food miles by sourcing it from Kent instead of Asia. In May 2012, Australia switched from palm to canola oil, which is sourced from Australian

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