Organic rules roost as chicken flies off shelves

Published on Saturday 1 March 2008 18:37

Sales of free-range birds soar after TV chefs slate factory farming

SALES of free-range chickens have soared after two TV chefs highlighted the shocking factory methods used to farm many birds.

The horrific images in programmes featuring Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have persuaded many customers to change their habits when it comes to shopping for poultry.

Last night, animal welfare groups welcomed the news but warned there was still much to be done to improve the conditions in which most chickens are raised in the UK.

Dr Marc Cooper, from the RSPCA, described the increased sales as "extremely encouraging" and said it showed the public had taken notice.

Supermarket chain Sainsburys reported sales of free-range and organic chicken – as well as those birds whose treatment meets the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme – had increased by 50%. Waitrose saw sales of organic chicken increase by 31% with other free-range meat sales rise by 24%.

Many Scottish consumers say they have been struggling to find any free-range or organic chicken.

One contributor from Fife to an online debate about the subject wrote last week: "One supermarket in Glenrothes has had none at all since these programmes went out."

Another said: "In Lanark, at the local supermarket, the free-range chickens were nearly sold out and other people at my work also commented on the same thing happening at their local stores.

"From now on, it's only free range in our house because standard chicken farming should not be supported by our money."

Last night, a spokesman for Sainsburys said its customers in Scotland had been buying free-range or organic chickens in vast numbers.

The programmes fronted by Oliver and Fearnley-Whittingstall included images of birds kept in spaces smaller than an A4 piece of paper and spending virtually 24 hours a day in near-darkness.

Oliver concentrated on chickens being raised to satisfy the demand for cheap food whilst Fearnley-Whittingstall set up two poultry farms, one free range, the other intensive to try and highlight the differences in both technique and quality of life for the birds.

However, many consumers are continuing to buy battery chickens and their eggs despite a recent RSPCA survey showing 75% of the British public thought supermarkets should only sell organic or free-range poultry products.

A spokesman for the charity added: "Since recently discovering that standard chickens were farmed in poor conditions these people now buy chickens that have had a better life.

"Nearly three out of four people feel supermarkets should only sell higher welfare chicken such as Freedom Food, free-range or organic.

"This directly supports the RSPCA's January campaign in which we asked people to sign a petition calling on supermarkets to sell only higher-welfare chicken by 2010. And so far over 53,000 people have signed our petition"

It is believed many people are confused by what actually constitutes a "free-range" or "organic" chicken so there are moves to improve awareness of the issue.

Cooper added: "In reality, we know that there is not enough higher welfare chicken available to meet the demands of the 70% of people in our poll who claim to buy it.

"We think some retailers have confused consumers about their chicken products, so we hope our Good Chicken Guide will clarify what chicken the RSPCA recommends and help people make an informed choice."

It estimated around 95% of chickens reared for eating in the UK are in conditions which just meet the minimum care standards required. Three-quarters of respondents to the RSPCA poll said they felt that supermarkets should only sell free-range or organic chicken.

More than a quarter said they would be willing to pay an extra 2 for higher welfare standards whilst 22% said they would pay an extra 3.

And the vast majority of consumers who bought the better quality chicken said they did so purely because they were concerned for the birds' welfare and not because the meat tasted better.

But sales of cheaper, intensively reared poultry continues to remain high with Sainsburys reporting its Basic Range chicken, the store's value line, had also increased.