Chicken Welfare Concerns (fast food restaurants)
If you are not already plant-based, if you eat chicken ensure it’s free-range from a local certified farmer. It’s best to avoid chicken from supermarkets, as ‘hock burns’ (from ammonia) are often hidden.
There is a huge concern at present over the big fast food restaurants (including McDonald’s and KFC) refusing to sign the Better Chicken Commitment, which has at least some better welfare laws, including slower-growing chickens (fast-growing chickens suffer from lameness and injury).
KFC had decided to sign up, but now has backtracked, saying that ‘there aren’t enough chickens’ to do it. Considering it even fries its chips in fat from factory-farmed chickens, it’s not a good place to support. Both chains also have other animal welfare and environmental concerns.
Like KFC? Try VFC!
If you like the taste of KFC, then look in supermarkets for VFC! This food brand (co-founded by a chef and the co-founder of Veganuary) is sold everywhere (including in budget supermarkets) and offers tasty chicken fillets and popcorn chicken, easy to cook up in the air-fryer.
