A quarter of all chicken produced in the UK is on track to have converted to the standards set out in the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) before 2026.
The NGO-led standard requires producers to use slower growing breeds of broiler with a lower stocking density, plus more enrichments than standard Red Tractor broilers.
The figures are set out in a new report – State of the Chicken Industry – produced by The Humane League UK, which lists all the organisations that have signed up.
Over 210 companies in the UK and EU have committed to the standard, and 11% of production is already classified as ‘higher welfare’, meeting or exceeding the BCC requirements. The report lists the which companies have signed up, listing the top ten firms in each sector that buys significant amounts of chicken.
In the foodservice sector, all of the top 10 chicken buyers are now committed to the standard, as are the top 10 in the meal kit sector. Seven of the top 10 in the manufacturing sector are signed up, including Nestle, Danone, Kraft-Heinz and Unilever. In retail, two of the top 10, Waitrose and M&S have signed up. The report estimates that currently, 5% of chicken sold through UK retailers is currently grown to BCC standards.
25% of UK chicken supply chain converting to Better Chicken Commitment
By Chloe Ryan
picture credit: Charles Bourns
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.