The following statement regarding the recent Farm Forward report on Costco’s chicken supply chain may be attributed to Maha Bazzi, Director of Animal Welfare Initiatives, U.S. & Canada, at Mercy For Animals:
Mercy For Animals is deeply concerned by the findings in Farm Forward’s new report, which documents high levels of Salmonella contamination at Costco’s Lincoln Premium Poultry facility and brings renewed scrutiny to Costco’s chicken supply chain. While the report focuses on contamination issues, it points to a broader and long-standing problem: Costco is failing to meet responsible standards in its chicken supply chain.
This latest glimpse into Costco’s operations comes more than four years after Mercy For Animals’ undercover investigation revealed a disturbing truth for chickens in the company’s supply chain: birds collapsing under their own weight, suffering from open wounds, and living in filth. Selective breeding for unnaturally rapid growth can cause chickens to suffer from weakened immune systems, making them highly susceptible to diseases.
Despite the mounting evidence showing systemic issues in its supply chain—from the cruel conditions we exposed in 2021 to the findings released this week by Farm Forward—Costco has not publicly demonstrated that it has made meaningful improvements in conditions for birds. Costco has failed to transition to slower-growing chicken breeds with better welfare outcomes and has not provided full transparency about the conditions in which the birds are being raised.
Costco cannot continue to ignore the calls for better standards. We urge the company to commit to the Better Chicken Commitment and transition to slower-growing breeds, ensuring chickens live healthier lives with significantly reduced suffering.
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