Eighteen major hospitality brands, including Burger King, Nando’s, KFC, The Restaurant Group and The Big Table, have withdrawn from their commitments to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
The BCC is a set of standards for broiler chickens, covering factors including breed, stocking density, environmental enrichment, lighting and slaughter methods. It is backed by major animal welfare organisations and has been adopted by hundreds of companies across Europe.
The brands confirmed they are stepping back from the commitment after concluding that they could not meet the required standards within their current supply chains, citing challenges around transitioning to slower-growing chicken breeds.
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) said the decision represented a major setback for animal welfare and urged companies to reconsider.
“It is deeply disappointing to see 18 hospitality brands, including Burger King, Nando’s, The Big Table, The Restaurant Group and KFC, step back from their Better Chicken Commitments (BCC), at a time when we are seeing progress and it’s being fully supported by consumers when given the choice to buy higher welfare chicken.
“BCC-compliant chicken is available, and volumes will increase further as retailers like M&S expand their BCC fresh chicken supply. The food service sector should be capitalising on this rather than stepping back from the BCC.”
CIWF said companies have mainly cited difficulties in switching away from fast-growing chicken breeds.
The move comes despite growing political and industry momentum behind slower-growing breeds. In its latest Animal Welfare Strategy, the UK Government said it would support voluntary efforts to phase out fast-growing broiler chickens. Meanwhile, Norway committed in January to ending the use of fast-growing broiler breeds altogether.