Co-op leads UK convenience retail by improving chicken welfare standards across its Breaded and Ready-To-Eat lines.
- The retailer’s 21 chicken products now meet higher welfare conditions with less stocking density and better living environments.
- Chickens have access to natural light and features that support natural behaviors, promoting health and wellbeing.
- Co-op’s alignment of welfare standards across fresh and breaded chicken comes after significant investment.
- Commercial Director Sinead Bell emphasizes Co-op’s commitment to responsible sourcing with 100% British farm-produced meat.
Co-op has taken a pioneering step as the first UK convenience retailer to enhance chicken welfare across its Breaded and Ready-To-Eat range. The initiative affects 21 lines, including chicken goujons, garlic kiev, and roast drumsticks, now part of the ‘Space to Thrive’ range. This program emphasizes superior welfare conditions, such as reduced stocking density and increased space by 20%.
From naturally lit barns to environments that encourage natural behaviors, Co-op’s chickens now enjoy better living conditions. These include access to pecking objects and perching platforms, allowing for healthier and more natural lifestyles. Such improvements mark a significant shift in the industry’s treatment of poultry.
This welfare upgrade aligns all Co-op’s fresh and breaded chicken products to a maximum stocking density of 30kg/m², a reduction from 38kg/m². This advancement follows a comprehensive investment in February aimed at enhancing the poultry supply chain.
Sinead Bell, Co-op’s Commercial Director, stated, ‘Responsible sourcing matters to us, our members and customers, and we’re proud to support British farmers by sourcing 100% of our fresh meat and shell eggs from trusted farms from across Britain.’ Her statement underlines Co-op’s ongoing dedication to quality and ethical sourcing.
By advancing these standards, Co-op distinguishes itself as a leader in animal welfare within the retail sector. Their move to extend lower stocking density beyond fresh chicken emphasizes their strategic commitment to improving poultry conditions.
Co-op continues to set benchmarks in animal welfare by ensuring its chicken ranges comply with enhanced welfare standards.
