NCC response to Washington Post article about line speeds and animal welfare

The National Chicken Council today released the following statement in response to an inflammatory Washington Post article, “USDA plan to speed up poultry-processing lines could increase risk of bird abuse.”  Attributable Tom Super, NCC vice president of communications:  “The figures cited by the Washington Post represent one     one hundredth of one percent (.01 %) of the chickens we process for meat per year. But the industry is working every day to get those figures as close to zero as possible. In fact, the National Chicken Council’s Animal Welfare Guidelines for Broilers will be updated this year to help achieve that goal. “Poultry processors consider the welfare of the birds the top priority. Not only is it the right thing to do ethically, but it does not make economic sense to mistreat the birds. Read More