KFC Poultry Welfare Guidelines

KFC Poultry Welfare Guidelines KFC has had an animal welfare policy for a number of years. In 2000, KFC adopted specific, comprehensive welfare performance standards for processing chickens and audits its suppliers against those standards. As shown below, KFC's processing guidelines and audits are designed to manage and monitor each step of the process to determine whether the birds supplied to KFC are handled humanely and any suffering is minimised. KFC audits its suppliers for compliance, and non-compliance could result in termination of the supplier's contract. KFC's policies for its suppliers apply to all chicken intended to be sold to KFC. KFC's guidelines for its suppliers include:

General
Suppliers must have a documented programme for animal welfare including a designated programme leader, formal employee training, and a system of regular self-audits and record keeping. Corrective action for suppliers' deviations from KFC's poultry welfare guidelines should be clearly stated and effective. Birds arriving at the plant should be clean and in good health. If an audit reveals dirty or sick birds, corrective action at the grow-out house must be taken by the supplier.

Catching
KFC's guidelines also provide that every reasonable precaution should be taken to minimise injury to birds arriving at our suppliers' plants. KFC recommends that its suppliers implement an incentive program that rewards catching crews for minimizing injury if KFC's audit reveals that birds are being injured during the catching process.

Transport
KFC's guidelines call for transport crates to be in good repair. KFC recommends that there should be no crate damage that would allow injury to birds or allow crates to accidentally open. Transport crates should not be over-filled and enough space should be provided to allow all birds to lie down.

Holding
Birds held in storage sheds by our suppliers should be provided adequate ventilation and climate control such as fans or curtains.

Stunning
Our suppliers' stunning equipment should be maintained to confirm that birds are insensible prior to slaughter, and the time between stunning and slaughter should be limited to minimize any likelihood that a bird may regain consciousness prior to slaughter. 

Humane Slaughter
Slaughter equipment at all supply facilities should be properly maintained to confirm that the birds are slaughtered quickly.