Animal charity The Humane League UK (THL UK) has released a new report today, accusing supermarkets of being responsible for the “biggest animal welfare crisis in the country”. The report focuses on the use of fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’, which have been selectively bred to reach slaughter weight in just 35 days, causing numerous health problems for the animals.
Renowned chef and animal welfare campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has called on supermarkets to take the lead in eliminating the use of Frankenchickens, stating that it could be the most significant improvement to animal welfare in the UK. Fearnley-Whittingstall believes that businesses could benefit from this change, and that the current practice of using Frankenchickens is “cruel, wasteful, and unjustifiable.”
The report, titled “State of the Chicken Industry: Who’s selling you Frankenchickens?”, argues that supermarkets should sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) to improve minimum welfare standards. This is particularly important as current welfare labels can be confusing and misleading for consumers.
Aaron Parr, Senior Campaigner at The Humane League UK, stated that the life of a Frankenchicken is unimaginably cruel, and the public and supermarkets need to take action. He added that the current practice of intensive factory farming conditions for 90% of chickens raised for meat is “animal abuse right under our noses.”
A YouGov poll commissioned for the report revealed that although 75% of people consider animal welfare when shopping, 74% of those who purchase chicken products are not aware of the different welfare standards represented by various labels.
Several supermarkets, including Aldi, Tesco, Co-op, Morrisons, and Lidl, have committed to providing their chickens with more space. However, they continue to use Frankenchickens for their meat. According to YouGov polling, 78.3% of Co-op loyalty card holders consider animal welfare an important factor when choosing where to shop, with the Co-op’s membership even voting for the adoption of the BCC at their 2023 AGM. However, the supermarket has yet to follow through on this commitment.
With 1.1 billion chickens raised and killed for meat every year in the UK, THL argues that the use of Frankenchickens is an unparalleled crisis in animal cruelty. Over 380 businesses in the UK and EU have already committed to the BCC, including major food companies such as KFC, Waitrose, Nando’s, Burger King, and M&S.
Furthermore, a judicial review appeal case led by The Humane League UK, which could permanently stop the use of Frankenchickens in the UK, is set to take place this October. This could be a groundbreaking decision that would bring an end to the suffering of billions of animals raised for meat in the country.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.