An investigation conducted by the BBC has found that millions of children in supermarkets have skin burns due to living in their excrement.
Burns in Supermarket Chicken
Data revealed that this condition, known as hock burns, was observed among a third of supermarket birds. The BBC asked 10 of the biggest chains in the UK about the condition of poultry on their shelves. These were Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury's. Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op, Waitrose, Lidl, Ocado, and Iceland. Five of the companies failed to provide specific figures.
The highest rates were found among the remaining five in Co-op and Aldi. Co-op was found to have hock burns in 36.7% of its poultry, while Aldi was found to have hock markings in 33.5% of its poultry. A Co-op spokesperson shares that every effort is being made to minimize hock burn occurrences. A spokesperson from Aldi also notes that they have been closely working with suppliers to ensure their food products are continuously improved.
Lidl is one of the chains that did not offer data to the BBC. However, one animal welfare campaign group, Open Cages, has been focusing on it for store spot checks. It requested volunteers to examine over 500 whole chickens on shelves across 22 branches in UK cities and towns from September to November 2023. It revealed that shoppers found that 74% of the checked chickens exhibited the condition.
A Lidl spokesperson shares that the chicken product number that Open Cages was said to check is only a tiny percentage of the fresh chicken they sold during that time. The spokesperson adds that the figures of Open Cages do not align with their data, which is lower than publicly available industry figures. The company did not agree to share its figures on hock burn, but they said they had plans to release a detailed and complete report on animal welfare soon.
The British Poultry Council, representing farmers, processors, and suppliers, shares that comparing rigorous procedures and formal inspection with a shop-shelf experiment may misinform and mislead. The council adds that when hock burns occur, it indicates areas that could be improved as the industry works on science-based standards, keeps in line with innovation, and prioritizes research and development investments.
What Is Hock Burn?
Hock burn, or hock marking, is caused by ammonia from excrement. It is typically linked to a high stocking bird density. It also results from prolonged contact with dirty and moist litter. These markings may usually appear as brown ulcers at the back of the leg of prepared and packaged meat.
While chickens with hock burns are still safe for consumption, the volume of hock burns in a poultry farm is an industrial indicator of broader welfare standards and quality within farms. The biggest farm and food assurance scheme in the UK, Red Tractor, targets not exceeding a hock burn rate of 15% in their flock.
Poultry specialist Kate Parkes from the RSPCA explains to the BBC that the condition was a concerning issue and is shared across several intensive farm environments. Parkes adds that hock burn risk is notably higher with poor management of birds and when these birds are genetically chosen to grow fast or reared in overcrowded conditions.
Connor Jackson, a co-founder of Open Cages, shares that hock burn is a symptom that signifies a much larger issue. Jackson adds that several retailers keep chickens in overcrowded sheds and breed them for extreme and fast growth. This routinely leads to suffering for chickens.
According to the UK government's code of practice for the welfare of meat chickens, poultry welfare and health are directly linked to litter quality. Certain conditions, such as hock markings, are typical of poor-quality litter.
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