KFC drops pledge to stop using ‘Frankenchickens’ in the UK
The fast food chain KFC has ditched its pledge in the UK to improve animal welfare by sourcing its chicken from slower-growing breeds by 2026.Fast-growing meat chickens have been called “Frankenchickens” because of welfare concerns, including higher mortality rates, lameness and muscle disease.More than 1 billion chickens are slaughtered in the UK each year for meat.KFC won plaudits in 2019 when it announced it was signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment but now says it will not meet the pledge.Its 2024 annual progress report on chicken welfare reported that just 1% of its chickens were from slower-growing breeds.
The firm’s ambition was to meet six key targets by 2026, including adoption of slower-growing breeds and a maximum stocking density of 30kg a square metre or less, which gives the birds significantly more space.KFC restaurants in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden signed up to the commitment, but the company has made almost no progress in adopting slower-growing breeds.Ruth Edge, head of sustainability at KFC UK and Ireland, told the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference in Wales last week that its ambition of using slower-growing breeds by 2026 was not achievable.“We’re not saying we’re never going to,” she said.“But we’re saying for 2026, and the way the market has developed, or lack of, we’re not going to be able to do it.
”KFC says there is an inadequate supply to meet the commitment because farmers are not switching in big enough numbers to slower-growing breeds.The company says it is still working to source chickens from farms with lower stocking densities.Campaigners say a move to slower-growing breeds would reduce mortality rates and improve welfare, but many retailers and restaurants have been reluctant to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment because of the higher costs involved.Food firms and retailers that have signed up to the commitment include Marks & Spencer, Burger King, Subway, Nando’s, Nestlé and Greggs.One of the commitments is third-party auditing to ensure compliance with the standard by 2026, with a longer timeframe for companies that have signed up this year.
The animal welfare group the Humane League UK said it would be protesting against KFC over the backtracking,Katie Ferneyhough from the charity said: “The use of Frankenchickens is the biggest animal welfare crisis of our time, and we will not tolerate companies breaking their promises to animals,We will not rest until KFC comes to the table and sets out a new timeline for adopting the [Better Chicken Commitment],”Sign up to ObservedAnalysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotionConnor Jackson, co-founder of the charity Open Cages, said: “We are in touch with companies that can supply KFC with the slower-growing chickens it needs to fulfil its commitment,The fact that KFC has made less than 1% progress on removing Frankenchickens from its supply chain is very concerning.
”An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Faster-growing breeds of chicken can suffer severe health and welfare issues, and we urge KFC to do all they can to transition to using only slower-growing breeds as soon as possible,”Rudi Van Schoor, the chief supply chain officer for KFC Europe, said: “The Better Chicken Commitment is an absolutely essential framework for tracking and improving welfare standards which we follow,When we signed up in 2019, we did so to support the direction of travel,We were very clear that we could only meet all the asks in the commitment if the wider poultry sector moved, as we make up less than 3% of the total UK chicken market,“The reality, at the moment, is that the UK poultry industry is not yet in an operational and commercial position to deliver the Better Chicken Commitment by 2026.
But we remain committed to the Better Chicken Commitment framework,”
London City, Bristol and Birmingham airports reportedly for sale
Birmingham, Bristol and London City airports have reportedly been put up for sale by their Canadian pension fund owner as it looks to cash in on a resurgence in air travel after the pandemic.The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is said to be in talks over a potential sale of its stakes in the UK airports to minority shareholders. The portfolio, which also includes Copenhagen and Brussels airports, is estimated to be worth more than £10bn.The minority shareholders have the right of first refusal for 30 days, but the move could prompt those smaller stakeholders to sell up instead.OTPP, which holds stakes ranging from 25% to 70% in each airport, has started to approach potential outside bidders including the Australian investor Macquarie in case smaller investors decline the offer, according to the Sunday Times, which first reported the sale talks
Brat banking: Charli xcx takes the stage in Revolut’s push to cleanse its image
Thousands of bank customers braved the wind and rain of Storm Bert on Saturday night, forming queues that snaked through the streets surrounding London’s Tottenham Court Road station.But this was no bank run. In fact, there was not a bank branch in sight.This was Revolut, Europe’s most valuable fintech firm, hosting a free customer gig with one of world’s biggest pop stars, Charli xcx, days before her sold-out UK arena tour. The concert by the woman whose album redefined the word brat was a flashy stunt, exhibiting the digital bank’s determination to cleanse a controversy-dogged image and snare young customers, before what could be a blockbuster UK stock market float
‘We live in a climate of fear’: graphic novelist’s Elon Musk book can’t find UK or US publisher
A biography by a British graphic novelist of Elon Musk is struggling to find an English-language publisher due to feared “legal consequences”.Elon Musk: Investigation into a New Master of the World is the latest graphic novel by Darryl Cunningham, from West Yorkshire. Cunningham, 64, has written and illustrated seven nonfiction books on topics ranging from the 2008 global economic meltdown (Supercrash), to Russian leader Vladimir Putin (subtitled The Rise of a Dictator).His first book, Psychiatric Tales, which drew on his time working on an acute psychiatric ward, was called an “unsettling but rewarding experience” in an Observer review in 2010.Although his previous books have all found publishers in the UK and America, there has been silence on the Elon Musk project, despite the fact that it has already been translated into French and published in France to positive reviews
I’ve joined Bluesky and it feels like a breath of fresh air – in some ways… | John Naughton
As I write, there’s a window on my laptop screen that is providing a live view of a stampede. It’s logging the numbers of people joining the social network Bluesky. At the moment, the number of registered users is 20.5 million. By the time you read this there will be more than 30 million of them, judging by the rate that people are currently joining
England demolish Japan in Autumn Nations farewell to end losing streak
A disappointing calendar year for England has at least ended with a flurry of nine tries and a healthier-looking outcome. A bucketload of points against a callow Japanese team on a blustery Sunday afternoon, however, does only so much to massage the overall bottom line. Five wins from 12 Tests – with four of the victories having come against Japan twice, Italy and Wales – tells the story of a side who look better when they face inferior opposition.The burgundy-clad hosts did not have to extend themselves unduly, crossing the whitewash more often than in their previous three Autumn Nations Series games combined. There were two tries apiece for England’s hookers Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie while Henry Slade had a quietly excellent game in midfield but New Zealand, Australia and South Africa would all have fancied racking up closer to 80 points against Eddie Jones’s inexperienced side
Reality check of Scotland defeat brings resurgent Wallabies back to earth | Daniel Gallan
Excitement and optimism abounded after two statement wins but result shows Schmidt’s work is just starting outIt had been a fortnight of razzle-dazzle and eye-catching headlines. Offloads and sidesteps, pyrotechnics and sliding tries in the corner had filled highlights reels and provided content for podcasts and think-pieces. There wasn’t a spare seat on the bandwagon. The hype train was chugging along at full throttle. Everyone wanted to know: Were the Wallabies back?This was the reality check that Australian rugby needed
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