We are excited to welcome two more companies joining the European Chicken Commitment: The baked good producer D. Entrup-Haselbach (DEH) and the caterer L & D will raise their animal welfare standards for chickens raised for meat and in doing so will reduce the suffering of millions of animals.
The owner-operated, medium-sized baked goods producer DEH views its commitment as an important step in pursuing its sustainability strategy. Starting in 2026 at the latest, the producer will therefore only be buying chicken meat that fulfills the criteria of the European Chicken Commitment. You can find DEH’s commitment here.
Similarly, the caterer L & D will in future only obtain chicken meat from producers that fulfill the stricter criteria of the commitment. To achieve this goal, L & D has been in regular exchange with its producers since 2019. You can read L & D’s commitment here.
Less suffering for chickens raised for meat
The European Chicken Commitment was initiated by the Albert Schweitzer Foundation and 29 other European animal protection groups to tackle the most appalling conditions in chicken farming. One of the largest problems is overbreeding: For the animals to gain as much muscle mass as possible, particularly in their breasts, they have been bred to grow extremely fast. However, the animals suffer severely from their fast-growing bodies and organs. The Chicken Commitment does not allow for these fast-growing breeds. Furthermore, the commitment demands more space, light, and manipulable materials and does not permit for the animals to be hung upside down prior to slaughter.
Worldwide, more than 540 companies have agreed to raising their animal welfare standards in accordance with the requirements of the European Chicken Commitment. Among them are groups like Nestlé and Unilever, top caterers like Sodexo, producers such as Rügenwalder Mühle, and restaurant chains like Kentucky Fried Chicken. All signatories commit to regularly reporting on the progress of implementation and to ensuring compliance with the standards through third party audits.