TV presenter Chris Packham has urged the Co-Op to stop the sale of so-called “Frankenchickens” as he blamed the “greed of the corporate world” for prioritising profit over animal welfare.
The broadcaster and naturalist joined demonstrators outside the supermarket’s AGM in Manchester who are calling on the chain to ditch fast-growing chickens raised for meat, known as Frankenchickens, from its supply chain.
Frankenchickens are bred to produce the maximum amount of meat in the shortest amount of time and can reach a slaughter weight of more than 2.0kg in five to six weeks, according to animal welfare charity The Humane League.
Speaking to the PA news agency from the protest, Mr Packham said rapid growth rate of the chickens puts a “horrendous” burden on the “physiology and the anatomy” of the birds.
“Basically, they’re taking on too much weight too quickly for their skeleton to cope with it, and we see all sorts of hideous deformities and muscular problems in the chickens, they end up scrabbling around in their own excrement, which is acrid and burns their skin off,” he added.
Some supermarkets justify their use of Frankenchickens by arguing some customers cannot afford meat raised in better welfare conditions, the environmentalist added.
“There’s an ethical problem there to start with and that is that people on lower income should have as much right to exercise their choices when it comes to the ethics of animal welfare as anyone else,” he said.
“That is entirely wrong to say that people can’t afford to make an ethical choice – well, that affordability is in the hands of the Co-Op.
“They’re the ones that are setting the price and we know full well that supermarkets sell some of the items on their shelves at loss to lure us in, where they make a profit on other items.”
Of the price difference between chickens raised in higher and lower welfare conditions, Mr Packham continued: “The interesting thing is, I need to be very clear about this, the increase when it comes to chicken is in pence, not pounds.
“It’s pence we’re talking about here, so this is basically the greed of the corporate world, once again, striving to maximise its profits at the expense of high welfare standards.”
On his message for Co-Op customers, Packham said: “The pound in our pockets or purses is incredibly powerful.
“If we don’t buy it, they won’t sell it because they’re interested in making a profit.”
A motion proposed at the Co-Op AGM two years ago to stop the chain using Frankenchickens was passed by 96%, but since then “nothing has happened”, he added.
Another vote on phasing out the use of the fast-growing chickens is expected at the AGM on Saturday.
According to the motion, the Co-Op is supplied with more than 10 million chickens, 98% of which are Frankenchickens.
In response, the Co-Op board said the company is “committed to improving animal welfare across the whole supply chain” and was “proud” of the progress it had made on the issue over recent years, according to AGM documents.
The board added: “A move to a slower growing breed would also cost tens of millions of pounds, which would result in an increase in the price of chicken in our stores.
“At a time when consumer confidence is low and there is a tough economic climate, we are acutely aware of the need, and our responsibility, to provide our members and customers with well sourced, quality products at a good value price point.”
Claire Williams, campaigns manager at The Humane League UK, said: “If human babies grew as quickly as Frankenchickens they’d weigh as much as an adult tiger at two months old – that’s nearly 300 kilos.
“These birds have been bred to suffer; their lives are marked by pain, stress and burden. Yet so-called ethical retailer Co-op continues to sell them.
“This urgently needs to change.”
The supermarket chain is currently recovering after a major cyber attack caused significant disruption including bare shelves in many of its shops in recent weeks.
