Major Food Companies Still Supporting Cruel Chicken Industry Practices
Each year, approximately 10 billion chickens are raised and slaughtered in the U.S. and Canada, making them the most farmed land animals in North America. The vast majority of these birds are fast-growing breeds, commonly referred to as “Frankenchickens,” who have been selectively bred to grow at an unnaturally rapid rate. This accelerated growth leads to severe health issues, including organ failure, heart disease, and crippling leg problems that often prevent the birds from reaching food and water.
In response to these welfare concerns, the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) was established in 2016. This set of science-based standards aims to improve the lives of chickens raised for meat by requiring companies to transition to higher-welfare breeds, provide more space and enrichments, improve living conditions, and replace cruel live-shackle slaughter methods with controlled-atmosphere stunning (CAS). Since its inception, hundreds of companies have adopted the BCC, with most committing to full implementation by 2024.
The report examines the progress made by major food companies in implementing these welfare standards. While over 200 North American companies have adopted the BCC, with more than 60 reporting some progress, the overall picture is mixed. About 20 companies have published detailed roadmaps with annual milestones for reaching BCC standards. However, many companies are lagging behind, failing to be transparent, or even backtracking on their commitments.
Only two companies, Campfire Treats and Evermore Pet Food, have fully implemented the BCC ahead of schedule, earning them top marks in the report. Several other companies received A grades for making significant progress and publishing clear roadmaps, including Applegate, Aramark, Compass Group USA, and others. These companies have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving chicken welfare and have been transparent about their efforts.
Unfortunately, many major restaurant chains and food companies received poor grades for minimal progress, lack of transparency, or weakening their commitments. Notable examples include Chipotle, Starbucks, Subway, and Papa John’s. These companies have made little to no progress on transitioning to higher-welfare chicken breeds, which is considered the most critical component of the BCC. Some have even weakened their policy language, removed deadlines, or deleted policies entirely from their websites.
Undercover investigations have highlighted the urgent need for these welfare improvements. An exposé at a Chipotle supplier revealed extreme suffering of chickens, contradicting the company’s claims of humane treatment. Another investigation at Pilgrim’s Pride farms, the second-largest poultry company in the U.S., exposed the typical cruel conditions prevalent in industrial poultry farming.
The report also calls attention to the practice of “humanewashing,” where companies make misleading claims about their chicken welfare standards. For example, some companies boast about sourcing “cage-free” chicken despite the fact that meat chickens are not typically raised in cages in North America. Others market their chicken as hormone- and steroid-free, even though these substances have been banned in U.S. poultry production since the 1950s.
To address these issues, the report recommends that companies publish clear roadmaps with annual milestones for reaching 100% BCC compliance. Progress should be reported annually and transparently for each BCC component. Companies should prioritize transitioning to higher-welfare chicken breeds, and those lagging behind should immediately engage suppliers to start sourcing higher-welfare chickens.
While some companies are making commendable progress in improving chicken welfare, many major food chains are failing to live up to their commitments. The report serves as a call to action for greater transparency, concrete action plans, and a genuine prioritization of animal welfare. Animal advocates can use this information to draw attention to the issue, enabling the public to make informed purchasing decisions and bringing pressure to bear on the poor-performing companies named in the report. By transitioning away from fast-growing “Frankenchicken” breeds and implementing the full spectrum of BCC standards, companies have the power to significantly improve the lives of billions of chickens in their supply chains.
