The majority (87%) of shoppers want UK supermarkets to stop selling fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’ and instead expect higher welfare standards.
According to new research by the RSCPA, an online poll of 2,089 UK adults found that 79% think animal welfare is important and will influence what they buy and 66% sometimes or always check packaging to ensure this is of high standard.
Additionally, seven out of 10 agreed that they would rather shop at a supermarket that offers high-welfare chicken.
As a result, the RSPCA has launched a campaign urging shoppers to influence supermarkets to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) – the leading set of standards for broiler welfare which looks to drive the food industry towards higher welfare practices.
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
Of the UK’s leading supermarkets, only Waitrose and M&S have currently signed up to the commitment which looks to improve the lives of chickens by replacing fast-growing breeds with healthier, slower-growing birds and giving the animals more space, natural light and enrichments.
However, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op have started to introduce slower-growing breeds as a small amount of their larger chicken offering, The Grocer reported.
This comes as Co-op’s board and members clashed at its annual general meeting last month over the welfare of chickens reared for meat.
Demonstrators urged the convenience retailer to adopt the BCC, with 96% of 32,000 Co-op members voting for this at the AGM.
While the board has refused to stop selling fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’ as it strives to keep prices down, it has agreed to give chickens more space, equivalent to BCC requirements.
