Shopper-led investigation reveals that Whole Foods profits from one of the worst factory-farming practices, contradicting public ethical food claims and raising concerns about meat quality and nutrition.
LOS ANGELES — Mercy For Animals’ new shopper-led report, “White Striping at Whole Foods,” spotlights the use of fast-growing chicken breeds, referred to as “Frankenchickens,” in Whole Foods’ supply chain. Despite the company’s public promise to stop sourcing these birds by 2024 through the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), the report shows photographic evidence of white-striping disease from 100% of stores surveyed by shoppers.
In contrast, Natural Grocers has made significant progress toward meeting BCC standards, with a clear roadmap for transitioning to slower-growing breeds. The company reports that the transition to these higher-welfare breeds is 90% complete. This underscores that change is possible, yet Whole Foods continues to lag, failing to meet their public promises.
“As a physician, I am deeply concerned about the risks of Frankenchickens—birds bred for unnaturally fast growth, leading to weakened immune systems in chickens,” said Michael Greger, M.D., author of Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching. “Factory farms create the perfect conditions for the spread of dangerous diseases like bird flu, putting both animals and people at risk.”
Despite Whole Foods’ marketed ethical food claims and promises, findings reveal:
- All 88 Whole Foods stores investigated across 58 cities were found to sell chicken with clear evidence of white striping.
- Whole Foods’ reliance on fast-growing birds suffering from muscle diseases contributes to poor animal welfare, compromised meat quality, and factory farms’ vulnerability to the spread of bird flu.
- Scientists warn that factory farms could incubate even deadlier strains of bird flu, potentially triggering a future pandemic. Despite these risks, the poultry industry prioritizes profit over public health.
- In the U.S., most of the more than nine billion chickens slaughtered for meat each year are Frankenchickens.
Shoppers at Whole Foods are likely unknowingly buying chicken displaying visible scarring, which indicates not just cruel breeding but poor meat quality — higher fat content and reduced nutritional value — raising concerns for health-conscious shoppers. Mercy For Animals calls on Whole Foods to fulfill their pledge to stop selling meat from birds bred for abnormal growth. Learn more at WholeFoodsChicken.com.
To schedule an interview, contact Jessica Bohrson at [email protected].
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Media Resources
Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies, and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org.
The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) is an industry-leading set of animal welfare standards that addresses some of the worst practices affecting chickens raised for meat. The BCC calls for giving chickens more space, environmental enrichment and litter and lighting that more closely meet their needs; switching to higher-welfare chicken breeds; and replacing live-shackle slaughter with controlled-atmosphere stunning. When food companies adopt the BCC, they demonstrate a desire to prioritize animal welfare in their supply chains and reduce suffering in the food industry. Learn more at Frankenchickens.com.
