KFC admits a third of its chickens suffer painful inflammation
by Tom Levitt from on (#56AMX)
Fast food giant praised for owning up to extent of footpad dermatitis, which can prevent birds from walking
Fast food giant KFC has laid bare the realities of chicken production after admitting to poor welfare conditions among its suppliers.
More than a third of the birds on its supplier farms in the UK and Ireland suffer from a painful inflammation known as footpad dermatitis that in severe cases can prevent birds from walking normally.
Footpad dermatitis is characterised by lesions on the feet, usually because of poor ventilation and litter management. KFC said the number of birds affected had fallen from more than half to 35% in just four years, and that its top suppliers were achieving levels of 15% or below.