RED TRACTOR has launched three new marques denoting chicken produced to the European Chicken Commitment, free-range and organic standards.
The new logos will sit alongside the assurance scheme’s existing marque and are named “enhanced welfare” for slower grown indoor birds, free-range and organic.
See also: Day-old broiler placings fall to three-year low
It means that Red Tractor can now certify birds produced in line with the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), which is growing its market share across retail and the foodservice sector.
Tesco is the latest supermarket to sell slower-grown indoor broilers on its shelves, branded as “room to roam” birds and currently priced at £3.33/kg for a whole bird.
Other retailers are trialling lines, and a number of foodservice operators such as KFC have said they will move to ECC birds by the end of 2025.
‘Simpler experience’
The standard requires slower-growing breeds of broiler and lower stocking densities, as well as windows, perches and pecking objects.
Red Tractor said the new tiers of production would help simplify shoppers’ experience when buying food and drink, as well as offer more choice.
“At present, consumers are faced with a host of logos and claims on menus and on pack, which create duplication and cause confusion.
“For two decades, Red Tractor has fulfilled a mainstream demand for safe and affordable food.
“However, increasingly consumers are demanding a greater choice and for the scheme to clearly differentiate how some of the product carrying its label is produced.”
‘Choice and clarity’
Red Tractor CEO Jim Moseley said: “Over the past 18 months we have been focused on how we can provide greater choice and clarity for those shoppers and diners who are looking to buy British produce grown and reared to recognised production methods, with the added confidence that it’s been checked every step of the way from farm to pack.
“Red Tractor is uniquely positioned to be a valuable navigation tool, which safeguards the supply chain of retailers and foodservice brands and reduces the audit burden for farmers and processors.
Chicken with the purple “enhanced welfare” marques are already appearing in some supermarkets, with the full rollout expected to take place over the next 18 months.
- Free-range for chicken: Orange
- Enhanced welfare for chicken: Purple
- Organic: Green
