UK chickens still labelled free-range despite never seeing outdoors

UK chickens will still be called free-range even though they are no longer allowed outside due to the outbreak of avian flu, owing to a government regulation, state a recent report.

After the country affected by “largest ever outbreak of avian flu” over the winter, all birds reared for meat and eggs have been ordered by the UK government to be kept indoors since November to reduce the risk of outbreaks, due to which free-range eggs now have to carry a sticker or label saying they are “barn eggs.

However, UK officials have now said that chicken producers can retain their free-range status as long as birds are not housed for more than 12 weeks, The Guardian reported. Free-range birds, which are usually slaughtered at about eight weeks, do not live long enough for the labelling rules to apply, added the report.

The market for free-range chickens is still tiny in comparison to the demand for free-range eggs. Last year, almost two-thirds of 11 billion eggs produced in the UK were free-range as compared to less than 4 percent of free-range chicken meat, stated the report.

The Co-op, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Morrisons and Waitrose no longer stock eggs that are not free-range. However, they all sell chicken meat that comes from birds that are never allowed outdoors.

The report comes a week after it emerged that free range eggs may no longer be feasible to produce in the UK and elsewhere in Europe in future due to a dramatic escalation in avian flu outbreaks.

Experts say highly pathogenic variants of avian flu now appear to be endemic in wild birds, creating a risk of infection all year.