Morrisons has come under fire after protests after campaigners from animal rights charity, Open Cages, took place outside five of the supermarkets sites.
As a result, the group is calling on the retailer to stop sourcing its chicken meat from genetically engineered “Frankenchickens.”
According to the charity, the birds routinely suffer from severe deformities and organ failure as a result of being bred to grow 400% faster than natural.
Responding to the demonstrations, a Morrisons spokesperson said: “We care deeply about animal welfare. All our regular chicken is raised to above Red Tractor standards; we are also the only retailer in Europe to ask our fresh chicken suppliers to require chicken to be born into the barn in which it will be raised by 2025.
“We actively monitor for any malpractice in our supply chain; we will never tolerate it or look the other way and if we ever find it, we will act swiftly and decisively.”
Chicken is the most popular meat in the UK. To meet demand, chickens have been selectively bred to grow much faster than natural. This practice is condemned by leading animal welfare charities including the RSPCA.
A recent report from Open Cages found that one million chickens die every week in the UK before reaching the slaughterhouse largely as a result of this practice.
Some 27% of the UK’s chicken supply is now covered by pledges to meet the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) by 2026 including M&S, Waitrose, KFC and Subway.
It’s a DEFRA endorsed and RSPCA-backed welfare policy which requires that only slower growing chickens raised in less crowded conditions can be sold.
M&S is set to make the switch this Autumn four years early. Sainsbury’s has pledged to stop sourcing chickens from overcrowded conditions for all own-brand meat by 2023.
“Morrisons claims to “care deeply” for animal welfare, yet seems content to stuff their shelves full of Frankenchickens: animals who are doomed to suffer deformities and heart attacks,” Open Cages CEO & co-founder Connor Jackson said.
“The fact is that these are empty words designed to keep us coming back to the checkout. So if they’re not ready to sign the Better Chicken Commitment or to tell the truth, then Open Cages will continue to provide free, honest advertising.
“We believe Morrisons’ customers deserve to know what they’re really buying.”
