Lidl's Tolworth's HQ cordoned off as a 'danger zone' by animal campaigners
Animal activists in hazmat suits are cordoning off Lidl's Tolworth HQ and declaring it a 'danger zone' today after investigations reveal alleged extreme cruelty and dangerous pathogens linked to the production of Lidl's chicken.
Protestors from The Humane League UK and Open Cages donned hazmat suits with warning tape as they made their case that Lidl is guilty of serving their customers cruel and unhygienic food.
Sean Gifford, Managing Director at The Humane League UK said : "In every case when investigators have opened the doors of farms connected to Lidl, either in the UK or abroad, what they have found shocked them. Most people know how chickens should live - scratching around in open spaces, with the sun on their back and the earth between their toes.
"The majority of Lidl's chickens live in crowded, filthy sheds in their tens of thousands, their genes forcing them to grow quicker than their bodies can handle, deforming their bones, pressuring their organs, and killing many prematurely. This can create dangerous diseases for chickens and people as well as unimaginable suffering. Lidl's animal welfare is a disgrace. They need to help us make Frankenchickens a thing of the past."
Dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria was recently identified on chicken sold in Lidl's UK stores. Fast-growing 'Frankenchickens' require between three and five times more antibiotics than slower-growing breeds. This can lead to a growth in dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The UN estimates that 10 million people will be killed by antibiotic resistant bugs by 2050, as many as cancer. Fast-growing chicken breeds, dubbed 'Frankenchickens,' also suffer intensely because of their genes. This is evidenced by six investigations on factory farms connected to Lidl in the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany twice (in Haselünne and Löningen) , and Austria over the past year.
The Humane League UK estimates that Lidl keeps 70 million chickens in the UK and 485 million across Europe - the vast majority of these are so-called 'Frankenchickens'.
Protestors are asking for Lidl International to commit to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) across Europe, a set of animal welfare standards requiring the use of slower-growing breeds, more space, natural light and enrichment, less painful slaughter methods and third-party auditing.
Animal Campaigns were up in arms as Lidl won the Retail Industry Award''s "supermarket of the year" award.
Connor Jackson, CEO of Open Cages who are supporting the protest said: "Lidl is duping its customers. As our undercover footage has shown, the use of Frankenchickens is dangerous to animals, making them sick and suffering.
"It's dangerous to human health too as the animals are crowded into filthy barns, petri-dishes for antibiotic resistant bacteria and disease. It's dangerous to consumer trust when people are given the impression that Lidl offers quality instead of cruelty. Lidl HQ is a morally hazardous area, and will remain a danger zone for animals and people alike until Lidl embraces change."
Fast-growing chickens constitute around 90% of the UK's 1.1 billion chickens raised for meat each year, and over a million of these birds die prematurely on UK farms each week.
The campaigners allege Frankenchickens are widely sold by supermarkets like Lidl, as their fast growth makes them profitable.
The Humane League UK has been campaigning against Lidl as part of the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a coalition of 90+ animal charities from 67 countries. KFC, Nando's, Greggs and Lidl France are among the 350+ companies in the UK and EU to have committed to the BCC, but the rest of Lidl has so far refused.
Fast-growing chicken breeds, who grow from birth to slaughter weight in around 35 days, are predisposed to serious congenital diseases that the industry refers to as "production diseases".
These include heart attacks, lameness, green muscle disease, bone and cartilage deformities and organ failure. The Humane League UK are calling on people to sign their petition to show opposition to Lidl's alleged use of Frankenchickens.
They are also renewing their argument that the Government unlawfully permits the keeping of fast-growing breeds after being granted an appeal.
Lidl said in a statement: "We acknowledge and agree with the need to transform livestock farming and are working in close partnership with our suppliers throughout the entire supply chain to ensure that we are continually improving animal welfare standards whilst also responding to what our customers want from us in each of our markets. Through this approach, we can set realistic measures and minimum targets for ourselves and our suppliers that can be implemented progressively within our range. In the UK, all fresh chicken supplied to Lidl GB complies with nationally recognised third-party standards, including Red Tractor Assured, RSPCA certification and Soil Association Organic. Additionally, Lidl GB's free-range RSPCA Assured chicken meets and exceeds the requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment.
"We fully support the goals of Open Wing Alliance and its members in improving animal welfare standards in poultry farming and continue to have an open dialogue with them following extensive and constructive discussions, with the latest meeting taking place just last week. In all our efforts for improvement, however, we want to keep our promises and therefore only set ourselves goals that are fundamentally and realistically achievable. To fully meet the requirements of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026, sector-wide collaboration from market leaders across the industry is required."
The Humane League is a registered charity ending the abuse of animals raised for food by influencing the policies of the world's biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates. Since the organisation began operating in the UK in 2016, it has secured hundreds of commitments to improve the lives of animals raised for food. Find out more at www.thehumaneleague.org.uk
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