The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has called on the UK government to introduce mandatory labelling on chicken meat products, similar to the system already in place for eggs, to inform consumers about the production methods and breed types used. The charity argues that such transparency would encourage shoppers to choose higher-welfare options, particularly slower-growing breeds of chickens.

The RSPCA’s latest report, *From Concern to Choice*, highlights how mandatory egg labelling introduced in 2004 has driven a nearly 75 percent increase in demand for free-range eggs over the past decade. In 2025, 71.3 percent of the 12.6 billion eggs produced in the UK were free-range, while just under 25 percent came from caged or enriched cage birds. The organisation believes that extending similar labelling requirements to chicken meat, the country’s most popular meat, would promote improved welfare standards.

Thomas Schultz-Jagow, executive director of the RSPCA, stated that research commissioned by the charity shows a clear labelling system could shift around half of consumers away from lower-welfare chicken options toward those raised under higher welfare conditions. He emphasized that public opinion strongly supports such reform, noting a 2024 government consultation on “fairer food labelling” revealed 99 percent of individual respondents and 69 percent of organisations favored mandatory labelling by production method.

Currently, the voluntary Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), established in 2016, encourages producers to use slower-growing chicken breeds and adhere to humane slaughter standards. The BCC also limits stocking densities to approximately 15 birds per square meter, compared to the legal maximum of about 19. Despite these guidelines, only 5 percent of the 1.1 billion chickens slaughtered in the UK in 2022 were from slower-growing breeds; this figure has since risen to 11 percent.

Retailers such as Waitrose, which implemented BCC-compliant fresh meat and own-label chicken ranges in 2025, reported a more than 9 percent increase in chicken sales following the adoption of slower-growing breeds. However, some major food brands have resisted the commitment. In February, 18 prominent companies, including Nando’s and KFC, withdrew from the BCC, citing concerns that slower-growing breeds require substantially more resources. They point to a 22 percent increase in land use, 35 percent more water consumption, and a 24 percent rise in greenhouse gas emissions associated with these breeds.

The debate reflects ongoing tensions between animal welfare improvements and environmental sustainability challenges within the poultry industry. The RSPCA continues to push for government intervention to ensure consumers are better informed and that welfare standards are raised across the sector.