Freedom Food or Free Range - what's the difference? Our guide gives you the facts behind the labels
Watch out for this one. ‘Corn fed’ as a marketing term has no legal definition under EU law. Generally it is considered to mean that the bird has been fed a diet of at least 50% corn during the final fattening phase of its life. The corn gives the meat its characteristic yellow colour.
Typical price per chicken (corn fed Freedom Food 1.6 kilos): £5.10
Free range chickens have access to the outdoors for at least half their lifetime during daylight hours. Age at slaughter is 56 days. The outdoor area must be ‘mainly covered by vegetation’. Stocking densities must not exceed 27.5 kilos per square metre – around 12 birds.
You may also see labels for ‘traditional free range’, which allows more access outdoors, lower stocking density and a minimum age at slaughter of 81 days. Or ‘free-range – total freedom’, which allows unrestricted day time open-air access.
Be aware, though, that there is no limit on the size of free-range flocks, and they typically number several thousand birds.
Typical price per chicken (1.6 kilos): £5.90
| Label | Birds / sq m | Slaughter age (days) | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Tractor | 18 | 40 | £2.20 |
| Freedom Food | 16 | 50 | £3.80 |
| Free Range | 12 | 56 | £5.90 |
| Organic | 10 | 81 | £8 |
Do you find chicken labels confusing? join the debate in our forum
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Hugh wants everyone to make the switch to free-range chicken
