Source: Susan Kelly, MEATINGPLACE, 9/6/17



The National Chicken Council (NCC), the largest association representing the U.S. broiler chicken industry, on Wednesday rolled out industry-wide standards for broiler chicken welfare.

The standards, which NCC calls Chicken Guarantees, outline welfare assurances for how meat chickens are raised in the United States.

“NCC and its members remain wholly committed to advancing chicken welfare, continuous improvement and consumer choice, ” Ashley Peterson, NCC senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, said in a statement. “Through our Chicken Guarantees, we want to provide the baseline principles that always hold true, no matter what chicken you eat.”

According to NCC, regardless of which welfare standards a chicken company adheres to, or whether the birds were raised conventionally, organic, without antibiotics or free range, these principles hold true:

RAISED CAGE-FREE: The majority of broiler chickens in the United States are raised in large, climate-controlled and ventilated barns, where they're free to move about, interact with other chickens and have 24-hour access to fresh food and water.

FREE OF ADDED HORMONES AND STEROIDS: The U.S. government has banned the use of hormones and steroids in poultry since the 1950s.

MONITORED BY LICENSED VETERINARIANS: Licensed veterinarians, who have a professional obligation to protect the chickens' health and welfare, provide comprehensive health care programs for every commercial broiler chicken flock.

RAISED BY FARMERS TRAINED IN ANIMAL WELFARE: Farm owners are trained in handling and caring for chickens in order to provide a safe, healthy and low-stress environment. If farmers or their employees mistreat chickens, they are subject to immediate disciplinary action, including termination and prosecution.

A survey of 1,007 adults conducted in May by ORC International found that 76 percent of Americans believe, mistakenly, that there are added hormones or steroids present in most chicken meat, and 70 percent believe most chickens raised for meat are raised in cages, NCC said. Further, nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of consumers said chicken labels and packaging are confusing.

More information about NCC's Chicken Guarantees is available here.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.