Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    3. June 2025
    4. 2025 Innovation supplement
    5. May 2025
    6. April 2025
    7. March 2025
    8. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    9. February 2025
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    20. June 2024
    21. 2024 Innovation supplement
    22. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    23. May 2024
    24. April 2024
    25. March 2024
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    31. October 2023
    32. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    33. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJuly 1, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Business

Foodservice sector leaves door ajar to US meat

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanSeptember 14, 20203 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Foodservice and hospitality brands say they will shun US meat unless it is produced to domestic standards.

A survey by Foodservice Footprint found some of the UK’s leading high street restaurant chains, hotel and pub groups and contract caterers have pledged not to source US meat produced to lower standards than are currently required in the UK.

However, companies including KFC, Aramark, Compass UK & Ireland and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said they would consider sourcing US meat if a future trade deal requires exporters to meet UK standards of production.

The position of many other brands, including McDonald’s, Greggs, JD Wetherspoon and Starbucks is unknown. This “rings alarm bells” said campaigners who noted foodservice is a more likely route for US exports than supermarkets since there is no requirement to label the origin of meat served to customers.

The survey of 25 fast food and coffee shop chains, hotel and pub groups and contract caterers, revealed that while some businesses source 100% of their meat from UK and Irish farmers, others rely on Europe and the rest of the world for the vast majority of their chicken, pork, lamb and beef.

Nando’s, for example, sources 100% of its chicken from the UK and Ireland, whereas at KFC the figure is 53.9% – with 46.1% coming from Europe, Brazil and Thailand.

Campaigners commended those that provided information, but warned those that didn’t – which included McDonald’s and Burger King, Starbucks and Greggs – that the lack of transparency could erode consumer confidence. “It is vital that consumers can be assured that what they eat in canteens and restaurants is of a good standard,” said Vicki Hird, head of sustainable farming at Sustain. “The lack of labelling means they have to trust companies so transparency is vital.”

Simon Billing, executive director at the Eating Better alliance added: “The fiercest critics of the foodservice industry would say they like to mask behind a lack of scrutiny of meat sourcing – a race to the bottom in price not a race to the top in terms of standards. The trend on white meat sourcing [revealed in this survey] paints that picture.”

Aramark, Compass, ISS, KFC and Sodexo all source some chicken from outside the EU, from countries including Argentina, Brazil and Thailand.

The UK government is hoping to strike a trade deal with the US following Brexit. However, on a number of key environmental indicators, including antibiotic and pesticide use, US food production performs poorly in comparison with the UK.

All respondents said they would not source meat reared in the US to lower standards than here. Five said they would not buy US meat even if it were reared to equivalent production standards, while five would consider it. “This survey is hugely valuable but it is worrying to see so many companies not replying,” said Hird.

The major supermarkets have already committed not to source US meat, however experts believe foodservice is a more likely route for US exports since there is no requirement to label the origin of meat served to customers.

The position on sourcing meat from the US is unknown at 12 of the companies approached – including fast food brands McDonald’s, Greggs, Burger King and Subway, coffee shops Starbucks and Costa, pub chains Greene King and JD Wetherspoon and hotel chains Accor and Whitbread. Contract caterers Atalian Servest and Interserve also declined to comment.

 

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleTechnical advice: Keeping feed consistent
Next Article Comment: The push for antibiotic free poultry comes with a big welfare cost
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Business & Politics

Empowering the workforce

July 2, 20256 Mins Read
Business & Politics

Global poultry outlook for 2025/26 clouded by geopolitics and disease

July 1, 20252 Mins Read
Business

Jack Brand reports strong turnaround with £2 million profit

June 30, 20251 Min Read
Latest News

Empowering the workforce

July 2, 2025

Comment: My foray into competitive smallholding

July 2, 2025

Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

July 1, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.