KFC drops pledge to stop using ‘Frankenchickens’ in the UK

KFC announced it was signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment in 2019 and says it still wishes to achieve its animal welfare target at some point. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Observer

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.