Co-op members stage protest over sale of Frankenchickens

Co-op members are set to protest at the company’s Manchester HQ on Saturday, in response to the supermarket’s use of Frankenchickens.

The move comes after an undercover investigation revealed suffering Frankenchickens on a Co-op farm.

The videos raised anger among the chain’s members, who in May voted by 96% for the retailer to consider adopting the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).

It would mean stopping the use of fast-growing breeds in favour of birds that grow slowly, a move which has been adopted by both M&S and Greggs.

An estimated 51 million birds supplied to the retailer each year would benefit from these improvements.

This would make the Co-op the third UK supermarket to make the pledge, after Waitrose and M&S.

Currently, merely 2% of the grocer’s meat chickens are reared to higher welfare standards, as opposed to nearly 100% of their egg-laying hens and pigs.

Co-op member Hannah Dickson said: “Co-op may claim that their members’ vote was not binding, but the members are the lifeblood of the Co-op. When 96% of voters call for the supermarket to improve chicken welfare we expect something to be done.

“We voted for change expecting that deformed, sick and dying Frankenchickens would no longer be tolerated.”