Sir, Britain’s love affair with chicken is not all about price (‘Focus on Poultry’, 4 August, p59). It’s about trusting our home-grown food to feed our families with speed and convenience. British poultry meat is a national success story - it has been feeding the nation for decades while upholding British food values and embracing innovation.
Chicken has won Britain’s hearts and is half the meat eaten in this country. It brings a good quality and versatile protein into the range of affordability for more people. Our consumers demand safe, wholesome and nutritious food, world-class animal welfare, production that respects the environment, food that is affordable and available, and a sustainable and secure supply chain. Britain’s poultry meat producers are particularly good at ticking all the boxes.
The current market is driven by customer demand and consumers can choose from a range of production systems. Just because birds have access to the outdoors for a part of their lives does not constitute higher welfare. It’s about good management and husbandry practised by our highly skilled people, who are the lifeblood of this thriving sector.
Richard Griffiths, chief executive, British Poultry Council
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