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Chicken welfare:
Done the right way
At KFC, we're proud of our chicken.
We take pride in the exceptional quality of the food we serve. It’s what the Colonel stood for and what our customers expect. Our commitment to quality includes:
Chickens that are healthy and well cared for
Farmers who adhere to recognized welfare standards
Supply chains that are sustainable and secure
2018
KFC U.S. reduced the use of antibiotics important to human medicine in their U.S. poultry supply chains.
2019
KFC U.K. & Ireland published its first annual chicken welfare progress report.
2020
KFC announced new global chicken key welfare indicators (KWIs), addressing chicken mobility, health, mortality, and stress.
2020
KFC Western Europe transitioned to 100% cage-free eggs.
2018
KFC U.S. reduced the use of antibiotics important to human medicine in their U.S. poultry supply chains.
2019
KFC U.K. & Ireland published its first annual chicken welfare progress report.
2020
KFC announced new global chicken key welfare indicators (KWIs), addressing chicken mobility, health, mortality, and stress.
2020
KFC Western Europe transitioned to 100% cage-free eggs.
2018
KFC U.S. reduced the use of antibiotics important to human medicine in their U.S. poultry supply chains.
AT KFC, WE LOVE OUR CHICKEN.
We share that love with customers across the world, and we’re committed to providing you with food that is safe, free from cruelty, and raised humanely.
WE’RE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE.
All throughout our supply chain, we’re working to tackle worthy and complex challenges like food security, food safety and sustainability.
OUR APPROACH
Driven by Science and Data
Our approach to chicken welfare is based on the latest science, data and research into what constitutes the best standards of care when raising chickens for food that optimizes welfare, food quality, and sustainability outcomes.
Guided by Care and Compassion
While raising chickens for food is our business model, we are dedicated to establishing best practices and following verified scientific thinking.
Focused on Sustainability and Security
Food production is an important part of the global conversation on sustainability. Our chicken welfare approach is part of an overall commitment to greater sustainability across our supply-chain.
OUR FOUR KEY PILLARS
The quality of our food starts with chickens that are well cared for. We’re committed to ensuring the chickens we source are raised humanely and sustainably.
That commitment starts with Five Freedoms, guiding our overall approach to chicken welfare:
- Freedom from hunger or thirst by providing ready access to fresh water and a healthy diet.
- Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from pain, injury, or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to express normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
- Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid stress.
We work closely with our suppliers to encourage best practices: proper ventilation, light and space requirements, all based on the latest scientific research.
Cage-Free Egg Commitment
- KFC pledges to transition to 100% cage-free eggs by 2030.
- And we’ve already started! KFC’s Western Europe market has already transitioned to 100% cage-free eggs across all restaurants.
Our steadfast commitment to animal health and well-being is guided by our science-based Sustainable Animal Protein Principles. Healthy chickens mean quality food for our customers.
Antimicrobial Use
- Emphasizing effective animal husbandry practices, KFC works with suppliers to alternate interventions that reduce risks to animal health.
- As part of Yum! Brands, KFC adheres to Yum’s global position on antimicrobial stewardship and judicious use of antibiotics. We seek to optimize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing resistance to antimicrobials. Read more about our progress here.
Key Welfare Indicators (KWIs)
In 2020, our KFC restaurants around the globe adopted new chicken key welfare indicators (KWIs). These KWIs serve as our foundation for animal welfare metrics, addressing:
- Mobility while chickens are raised
- Overall chicken health
- Minimization of medical interventions
- Chicken mortality
- Mental & physical stress
New technologies and innovative solutions are key to assuring the chickens we source are raised sustainably and that our food supply is secure.
Leading and Learning: KFC’s Market-Based Approach
How chickens are raised can vary widely in different markets around the world. At KFC, we understand this reality. Our goal is to drive progress in every market in which we operate.
Our global footprint means global perspective.
We’re able to incorporate key learnings from more advanced markets across our entire global supply chain, pushing everyone ahead — we all benefit.
Plant-Based Foods
We are expanding the availability of plant-based menu items to offer delicious options to our vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian guests.
We’re committed to following and supporting innovative research that provides new solutions and technologies in the way we raise chickens for food.
At KFC, we are dedicated to driving accountability. We’re committed to measuring our progress and reporting transparently on the work we do to ensure the chickens we source are raised humanely and sustainably.
Reporting our Progress
Each year, KFC releases a number of reports across our markets:
- KFC UK & Ireland Annual Progress Report on Chicken Welfare
- Yum! Recipe for Good Report
- KFC U.S. Chicken Welfare Report
Working with Experts
At KFC, we work with experts from across the industry to ensure we’re adhering to globally recognized standards.
- Poultry Advisory Council actively meets on a quarterly basis with U.S. suppliers to discuss industry topics and challenges, set priorities and establish a regular cadence of reporting metrics related to chicken welfare.
Global Animal Welfare Team
KFC has technical experts throughout the company who are responsible for the implementation and monitoring of animal welfare in every market we do business.
OUR CHICKEN WELFARE JOURNEY
2002
Yum!: First animal welfare program established
2003
Yum!: Animal Welfare Advisory Council + Poultry Advisory Council
2018
KFC U.S.: Antibiotics Commitment
Yum!: Published global Animal Welfare Policy based on Five Freedoms
2019
Yum!: Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge
Yum!: Roundtable For Sustainable Poultry & Eggs
KFC Canada: Plant-Based Fried Chicken
2020
KFC: Global Chicken Key Welfare Indicators:
- Mobilitywhile chickens are raised
- Overall health/minimization of medical interventions
- Chickenmortality
- Mental and physicalstress
KFC U.S.: Beyond Meat Market Expansion
2021
Yum!: Global Cage-Free Egg Commitment
Yum!: 2020 Citizenship Report Yum!:
Beyond MeatGlobal Strategic Partnership
2022
KFC U.S.: Beyond Fried ChickenNationwide
2002
Yum!: First animal welfare program established
2003
Yum!: Animal Welfare Advisory Council + Poultry Advisory Council
2018
KFC U.S.: Antibiotics Commitment
Yum!: Published global Animal Welfare Policy based on Five Freedoms
2019
Yum!: Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge
Yum!: Roundtable For Sustainable Poultry & Eggs
KFC Canada: Plant-Based Fried Chicken
2020
KFC: Global Chicken Key Welfare Indicators:
- Mobilitywhile chickens are raised
- Overall health/minimization of medical interventions
- Chickenmortality
- Mental and physicalstress
KFC U.S.: Beyond Meat Market Expansion
2021
Yum!: Global Cage-Free Egg Commitment
Yum!: 2020 Citizenship Report Yum!:
Beyond MeatGlobal Strategic Partnership
2022
KFC U.S.: Beyond Fried ChickenNationwide
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Myth
Commercial chickens are subjected to hormone or steroid treatment
Fact
While this has never been valid economic model for poultry production, no commercial chicken has been treated with any hormone or steroid across global markets. For the US, hormone and steroid use has been banned since 1954 due to the FDA mandate.
Myth
Modern chickens are the product of genetic modification
Fact
Commercial broiler chickens are not genetically modified. However, selective breeding has become a common practice allowing for the selection of desired traits and genetic improvements among all livestock, poultry and animals.
Myth
Chickens grow so rapidly they have trouble walking or living a healthy life
Fact
The chickens that we source are not immobile nor are they unhealthy. The size increase comes from advancements in nutrition, housing, ventilation and veterinary medicine to improve chicken health and performance, which are supported by the Five Freedoms of animal welfare.
Myth
KFC chickens are routinely treated with antibiotics
Fact
Chickens, like any other animal or human, can become ill and it would be unethical to withhold treatment. By law, all antibiotics are prescribed under veterinarian supervision and carefully administered to preserve the bird’s health based on the specific illness. Since 2018, all chicken purchased by KFC U.S. are raised without antibiotics important to human medicine across its entire U.S. chicken supply chain.
Myth
Chickens are raised in crowded, unclean housing
Fact
Chickens are highly social animals that prefer close contact and dust-bathe as part of a natural behavior to reduces mites.
Most of today’s chicken barns are computer-controlled environments that are carefully designed to manage ventilation, temperature and reduce the exposure to pathogens.
Myth
Modern chicken production is unsustainable
Fact
Compared to 1965, today’s farmers use 75% fewer resources to produce the same quantity of meat. The numbers speak for themselves — sustainable advancements in animal agriculture have enabled farmers to produce more high-quality protein with significantly less input and carbon offsets.
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