KFC's broken promise: Welfare concerns over 'Frankenchickens'
They are not concerned about the welfare of chickens because the poultry industry cannot provide them with a sufficient number of animals reared in good conditions. In the United Kingdom, KFC is stepping back from the promise made in 2019 and is not abandoning selectively bred meat.
As early as 2019, KFC, one of the most recognisable fast-food chains in the world, announced that in the interest of chicken welfare, it would move away from purchasing industrially raised, so-called 'Frankenchickens'.
These 'Frankenchickens' grow up to four times faster than naturally and often suffer from lameness, muscle diseases, and higher mortality.
KFC then signed the Better Chicken Commitment, stating that by 2026 it would only use slow-growing birds in its kitchens, originating from farms that care about their welfare.
Currently, only one per cent of chickens come from this environment, and it appears that this number will not increase. The poultry industry cannot supply enough animals reared in good conditions to meet the network's requirements.
According to dailymail.com, despite the promise, restaurants in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands have made almost no progress in eliminating the use of Frankenchickens.
The company blamed farmers for not switching to slower-growing breeds in sufficient quantities and said it is working on sourcing chickens from farms with lower stocking densities.
Ruth Edge, head of sustainability at KFC UK and Ireland, said last week at the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference in Wales that achieving the 2026 target is unattainable.
Animal welfare organisations do not accept these explanations and are planning protests.
The use of Frankenchickens is the biggest animal welfare crisis of our time, and we will not tolerate companies breaking their promises to animals. We will not rest until KFC comes to the table and sets out a new timeline for adopting the [Better Chicken Commitment], commented one of the activists in an interview with The Observer.
