Azzurri Group, which owns restaurants ASK and Zizzi, has become the first restaurant group in the UK and Europe to commit to the Better Chicken Commitment.
The Better Chicken Commitment is a new set of standards for improving the welfare of chickens farmed for meat.
It has been devised by a group of animal protection organisations including The Humane League, Compassion in World Farming, and the RSPCA.
The Azzurri Group includes high-street chains ASK and Zizzi, and serves over 15 million meals a year in over 250 restaurants and shops across the UK.
It has committed to achieving the Better Chicken Commitment standards by 2026.
The new standards laid out in the commitment eliminate the worst health issues relating to fast growth, reduce overcrowding, and provide a better living environment for chickens.
Chickens farmed for meat, called ‘broiler’ chickens, account for 95% of all land animals farmed in the UK.
There has been a wave of corporate commitments to improve broiler chicken welfare recently. Elior group, Unilever, and Marks & Spencers have released their retailer policies committing to improving welfare.
This month, one of the biggest food companies in the world, Nestlé, committed to these standards globally.
Vicky Bond, Managing Director of The Humane League UK said: “These meaningful changes are set to benefit the lives of millions of chickens, and we encourage other companies who care about the welfare of animals in their supply chains to follow suit.”
Over the past few years, the vast majority of the UK food industry has committed to eradicating cages for laying hens in their supply chains.
