KFC
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KFC, now once again using its old moniker Kentucky Fried Chicken in some of its restaurants, is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc., and is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally founded by Col. Harland Sanders, KFC is known for its fried chicken which is prepared by coating fresh-cut pieces of chicken in a flour, salt, and pepper mixture, then cooking immersed in hot oil in a pressure cooker. The world's first KFC was established in 1939 in Corbin, Kentucky. The first franchise was established 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah by Harland Sanders and Pete Harman, but since then has been sold four times, last to Yum! Brands, Inc.
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Food
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The spices used in the chicken are a trade secret. However, a chemical analysis commissioned by author William Poundstone revealed some of the primary ingredients: salt, ground black pepper, flour and monosodium glutamate. KFC claims that Colonel Sanders' recipe had eleven secret herbs and spices, although it curiously does not claim that this is the recipe in current use.
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The company adopted the abbreviated form of its name in 1991 to avoid the unhealthy connotations of the word 'fried'. KFC is currently experimenting with pot pies, boneless and roasted chicken in addition to its core food offering. In 2004 the company tried to further rebrand itself, featuring the term "Kitchen Fresh Chicken" in its advertisements (and noting in the fine print that its freshness claim does not apply to the chicken wings). Recently, in April 2005, "after 14 years of trying to downplay the image of its food as greasy and unhealthy by calling itself simply KFC, the chain opened a new restaurant in its hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, on April 20, 2005, under its former name and plans 50 more this year."
In New Zealand, television ads for the chain feature "Kiwi For Chicken."
Beyond the fried chicken, KFC also serves dishes and side-dishes like french fries, chicken nuggets, coleslaw, and hamburgers, though not all may be found in all places.
Wendy's restaurants founder Dave Thomas operated several Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises before starting Wendy's restaurants. He also invented the rotating-bucket-of-chicken sign which at one time was outside every KFC.
Controversy
On October 16, 2003, Playboy model and actress Pamela Anderson joined PETA in their animal rights campaign against KFC urging consumers to boycott the franchise until better treatment of its chickens is ensured.
On June 3, 2004, the FTC and KFC came to a settlement regarding KFC's advertising campaign claiming that "fried chicken can, in fact, be part of a healthy diet." The terms of the agreement were not disclosed; however, the TV commercials stopped airing after the settlement. [1] (http://www.kfc.com/about/pr/060304.htm)
On July 20, 2004, PETA released a video of cruelty to chickens taken at Pilgrim's Pride, one of KFC's suppliers in West Virginia. The supplier stated that it would investigate the claims. [2] (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=543026) Pilgrim's Pride fired eleven employees following the release of the video and provided animal cruelty training to its work force, however, none of the employees involved in the incident faced any criminal charges. [3] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/11/chicken.cruelty.ap/index.html)
Return to its roots
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In April 2005, KFC announced that it would be opening a new store in its hometown of Louisville under the original Kentucky Fried Chicken name. In an effort to boost sales, they have gone back to their Southern roots. KFC plans to open 50 more of those stores under the old name in the coming year.
See also
- Priszm Brandz, the Canadian franchisee of KFC and other Yum! Brands restaurants
External links
- KFC website (http://www.kfc.com/)
- Kentucky Fried Cruelty (http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com), the PETA action website.
- KFC pulls two items from its Chinese menu (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1111062467733_56/?hub=Health) after finding a seasoning used in the products contains Sudan I, industrial dye linked to cancer
- KFC: Back in the Fryer (http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/21/news/fortune500/kfc.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes)
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