A 'fowl' month for TVTwo of Britain’s best known chefs, Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whttingstall, are raising awareness of the plight of the chicken.
Chicken Run and Jamie’s Fowl Dinners, to be shown as part of Channel 4’s food season fortnight, sees both TV chefs discuss the RSPCA’s higher welfare standards - used by Freedom Food members.
Freedom Food is the RSPCA’s food labeling and farm assurance scheme. It’s dedicated to improving the lives of as many farm animals as possible, including chickens.
When you see the blue and white logo on products you can be confident that the animal has been reared in a farm inspected to strict welfare standards set by the RSPCA. So choosing chicken from a welfare-friendly farm is as easy as choosing free range eggs.
Farms approved by Freedom Food are required to meet all the RSPCA welfare standards whether chickens are reared within free range, organic or well-managed indoor systems. These standards cover all aspects of the chicken’s life including feed, living conditions, handling and transport and have been shown to lead to a healthier life for the chicken.
Demand welfare-friendly chicken! To coincide with the new Channel 4 programmes, the RSPCA has challenged all supermarkets to become the first to pledge to only sell 100% welfare-friendly chicken by 2010. You can support their challenge by signing the petition today. Around 95% of all chickens reared for meat in the UK are reared in intensive conditions: housed in overcrowded, dimly lit sheds, and reaching their slaughter weight in around just 35 days. The lack of space to move around, combined with the use of chicken breeds that grow extremely quickly – can result in painful leg problems, skin diseases and heart failure.
Chalenging the way you think about food with provocative programmes from Hugh, Jamie and Gordon.
Do you care if the chicken you eat is battery farmed?