'Frankenchickens' protest disrupts Co-op meeting

An animal rights group stormed the stage at the Co-op's annual general meeting to protest against the supermarket's use of "Frankenchickens".

Members of The Humane League UK interrupted proceedings at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester to demand the company end the use of the "cruel, fast-growing" chickens which are "bred to suffer".

"They claim to be an ethical retailer but have failed to reduce some of the worst suffering of chickens in their supply chain," said managing director Sean Gifford.

A Co-op spokesperson said: “Animal welfare is extremely important to us and we ensure all the animals in our supply chain are looked after."

Mr Gifford said six members of the group took to the stage, while 30 remained outside the arena showing members of the public and Co-op leadership images of "what is happening on the farms".

He said: "We're talking about young birds whose legs are so deformed they can't stand up properly - they're forced to lie in their own waste and faeces. They suffer chemical burns on the tummies and legs.

"A small group of six of us hopped up on stage to make our point.

"I was manhandled off the stage by security but others managed to get on stage and unfurl our banners.

"As we were dragged out of the venue the membership applauded us which was so heartening to hear."

Mr Gifford said while Co-op members had passed a motion at last year's AGM for the supermarket to consider signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), it had not done so.

"It is a basic set of standards that means chickens should not be genetically bred to grow so fat, so quickly that they suffer tremendously," said Mr Gifford.

The Co-op spokesperson said the retailer continued to be "at the forefront of chicken welfare, which is where our member-owners, colleagues and customers expect us to be".

They added: "All Co-op fresh chicken is 100% British, is bred at 30kg/m2 which gives the chickens 20% more space and meets or exceeds Red Tractor standards."

However, Mr Gifford said this did not go far enough.

"Giving chickens a little bit more space is just the first step," he said.

"The Co-op has a moral responsibility to treat their animals better and until they end their use of fast-growing 'Frankenchickens', animals will suffer miserably."

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