Seven foodservice and retail companies – Aramark, Compass Group, Nestlé USA, Panera Bread, Shake Shack, Sodexo and Target – have formed the U.S. Working Group for Broiler Welfare. The working group will support a transition to the broiler welfare standards set by the Better Chicken Commitment.
“I am thrilled to join the Working Group as we push to improve broiler chicken welfare across the industry. Shake Shack’s focus on premium ingredients, thoughtful sourcing and animal welfare has always been core to who we are,” said Jeffrey Amoscato, SVP Supply Chain & Menu Innovation at Shake Shack.
“We’re looking forward to learning from and collaborating with our peers to better understand barriers and potential solutions for accelerating improvements more broadly.”\
Transitioning supply chains
The U.S. Working Group for Broiler Welfare, facilitated by Compassion in World Farming and Blue House Sustainability Consulting, “aims to support members in exploring workable strategies and creative solutions for transitioning supply chains through the lens of the welfare standards outlined in the Better Chicken Commitment,” according to the press release.
The Better Chicken Commitment, according to its website, has two versions. One calls for the exclusive sourcing of chicken certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) by 2024 and requires all chickens to be processed in a manner that utilizes controlled atmosphere stunning.
The other version calls for a maximum stocking density of 6 pounds per square feet, providing enrichments for the birds and use of controlled atmosphere stunning by 2024 and the use of breeds that meet the GAP or Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) standards by 2026.
“Bringing restaurant leaders together in the Working Group will help us collaborate and innovate across all parts of this important transition – from impacts on farmers to measurement of animal care,” said Sara Burnett, VP of Food Values, Sustainability and Public Affairs at Panera Bread.
“These discussions will help us as we continually strive to provide responsibly raised proteins.”
Over 100 food companies – including Accor, Compass Group, KraftHeinz, Marks & Spencer, Nestle and KFC – have committed to meet the Better Chicken Commitment standards.