Royal Caribbean Cruises vows to source only GAP chicken

Royal Caribbean Cruises on May 25 pledged that by 2024, it will source 100 percent of its chickens for its United States supply chain from sources certified by the Global Animal Partnership.

Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean Cruises
Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises on May 25 pledged that by 2024, it will source 100 percent of its chickens for its United States supply chain from sources certified by the Global Animal Partnership.

According to a press release from the company, Royal Caribbean will also require that the chickens it sources be processed in a manner that avoids live shackling and utilizes a controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) system.

“Royal Caribbean takes seriously our responsibility to ensure improved animal welfare in our supply chain,” said Mike Jones, senior vice president, supply chain, travel, port services and workplace solutions, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “This is why we’re working to transition to products like cage-free eggs and gestation stall-free pork. We are proud to now also move the needle when it comes to the poultry we purchase for our business.”

The company’s new policy has drawn the praise of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) an organization that has representation on the GAP board and has been advocating a move away from conventional broiler breeds and toward GAP-certified slower-growing breeds.

“Royal Caribbean shows yet again that doing good is part of doing well,” said Matthew Prescott, senior director of food and agriculture for HSUS. “Our partnership with the company dates back almost a decade, and we welcome this latest move to animal welfare.”

Other pledges

According to the webpage, welfarecommitments.com/broiler/, a link provided to WATT Global Media by Prescott, Royal Caribbean is the 89th company to commit to a broiler welfare policy that includes sourcing chicken from breeds approved by either GAP or the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), but only the ninth company to do so in 2018. The majority of the pledges were made in 2017.

Other cruise or hospitality companies that have signed such pledges include Norwegian Cruise Lines and Carnival Corp.

 

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