Shopping guide for chicken
Chicken is by far the most consumed meat in the UK with around 800 million chickens reared for meat in the UK every year. By choosing higher welfare products, such as those labelled Freedom Food, you are directly helping to improve the lives of these farm animals.
What to look for when buying chicken
The Freedom Food mark can be found on indoor-reared, free range and organic chicken products, so be sure to check the label. It’s only chicken carrying the Freedom Food logo that can provide you with the assurance that it has been looked after, throughout its life, to the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards.
Whilst British chickens are only ever free range or indoor reared the standards can vary quite radically. Unlike egg laying hens, chickens are never reared in cages in the UK.
Standard Indoor
If a chicken product’s packaging does not make it clear which farming system the chicken was reared in, it’s likely the bird was reared in a standard indoor production system. It’s not mandatory to provide natural light in this type of system, in fact the chickens may be provided with only a very low level of artificial light which affects their activity levels and can contribute to leg problems. The birds live in cramped conditions – especially when they are older and bigger - and are provided with little environmental enrichment. Combine these factors with a fast growing breed and you significantly increase the risk of health issues and poor welfare.
Some chicken products from indoor reared birds state they are higher-welfare, but offer no independent assurance, such as those carrying the Freedom Food logo. These chickens typically have more space, light and enrichment than the industry standard, but do not meet the RSPCA welfare standards either for these three areas or the many other RSPCA standards that cover the birds’ life from hatching to slaughter. They are also unlikely to be a naturally slower growing breed – the only kind that is permitted under the RSPCA welfare standards. Faster growth rates have been found to lead to a number of heart and leg problems.
Freedom Food Indoor
Freedom Food indoor-reared chickens must be given more space, natural light and enrichment as specified within the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards. There are nearly 600 RSPCA welfare standards that must be adhered to by Freedom Food members covering the whole of the birds’ life from the hatchery, to their time on the farm, how they are handled and include RSPCA welfare standards for slaughter. Plus, Freedom Food farms must use a naturally slower growing breed, which have been seen to have improved health and welfare.
Free range
By law free range chickens must have daytime access to the range – with a set amount of space per bird – for at least half their life. Additionally, Freedom Food free range birds must be provided with shade and shelter to offer protection from the weather and predators. The RSPCA also have set standards for the management of the range to encourage the birds to range further. Free-range birds spend the first weeks of their life indoors so Freedom Food birds are provided with natural light then too.
Organic
The organic mark is governed by legal standards in the UK and EU and organic chicken will be free-range. Organic certification scheme standards do vary and of course focus on the sustainability of the soil and the environment. The Freedom Food mark can be found on organic labels, but sick or injured birds must be treated according to the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards, even if it means these birds lose their organic accreditation.
As ever, if the product does not carry the Freedom Food logo, it hasn’t been approved by Freedom Food as reared to the RSPCA welfare standards.
And finally, you may have been aware of various stories in the media about Halal chicken. At present we do not have any Halal producer members of Freedom Food, but should a Halal producer wanted to become a member, they could as long as they met every single one of the RSPCA welfare standards – including slaughter – in the same way that any other producer must meet all of the RSPCA welfare standards.