Chicken
Meat from chickens, turkeys and hens causes low greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat compared to other meat, but more than for vegetables. Feed has a major impact on the climate impact of chicken meat when it is produced. Animal health and welfare are also important sustainability aspects to take into consideration when procuring chicken, turkey and hen meat.
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| EU-organic product | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Organic production promotes sustainable agriculture. Organic farming should respect nature's ecosystems and different natural cycles, and strive to maintain and improve the quality of soil, water, plant health and the health of animals. The balance between all elements is to be maintained and preferably improved. Criterion text Food products must be produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products. | ||||
| Organic product - addition for chicken and eggs | Advanced | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Organic production aims to use natural resources such as energy, land and water in a sustainable manner. Organic farming shall respect nature’s ecosystems and natural cycles and aim to maintain and improve the quality of soil, water, plant vitality and animal health. Criterion text Raw materials from chickens, hens and eggs shall be produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products. The products shall also fulfil the following requirements:
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| Information about the origin of the raw material - meat | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Transparency and traceability in the food chain are important in order to be able to check sustainability parameters in the supply chain. By requiring that information about the origin of the raw-material is to be available and controllable, the procuring organization assures that traceability in the food chain is possible. Criterion text For products made from meat, information must be provided about the country(ies) of origin of the raw material(s), and this must be available for examination when a tender is submitted. This information must also be made available or provided on request throughout the term of the contract, including for any substitute items. Information about the commodity's country(ies) of origin shall include:
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| Transport of animals to slaughter -chickens, turkeys and hens | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Long periods of transport can have an adverse impact on animal health and welfare and may lead to increased mortality. Criterion text Chicken, turkey or hen raw material shall come from animals that have been transported to slaughter for no more than eight hours, including loading and unloading. When transporting animals during the hours of darkness, chickens, turkeys and hens shall have been transported to slaughter for no more than 12 hours, including loading and unloading. For transports of more than eight hours during the hours of darkness, the vehicle shall also have equipment that allows the ventilation and temperature to be adjusted to both internal and external temperatures. | ||||
| Expertise for transportation of animals to slaughter - chicken, turkeys, hens | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Loading and unloading when transporting poultry to slaughter is a critical point in respect of animal health. Requiring drivers and individuals responsible for loading and unloading to be competent in animal transport can help to improve animal welfare during transport Criterion text When transporting chickens, turkeys and hens to slaughter, drivers and individuals responsible for loading and unloading shall have completed training on the transportation of poultry in accordance with the minimum requirements laid down in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. This requirement covers all transport operations, regardless of transport time. | ||||
| Stunning at the time of slaughter - chicken and turkey | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information A slaughter method that involves stunning the animal at slaughter is very important from an animal welfare standpoint. The general rule in the EU is that animals shall be stunned before slaughter, but Member States may allow exceptions for religious or cultural reasons. Most Member States allow such exemptions, but Sweden, for example, does not. Criterion text Chicken, turkey and hen raw materials shall come from animals that have been fully stunned when bled and remain completely unconscious until death. Electrical stunning and stunning with carbon dioxide or inert gases (nitrogen and/or argon) are permitted stunning methods for the slaughter of poultry. Electrical stunning For electrical stunning with the head passing through a water bath, the current for each animal shall be at least 0.12 amps for chickens and laying hens, using 50–200 Hz alternating current. For turkeys, the current for each animal shall be at least 0.25 amps at frequencies below 200 Hz; the current shall be at least 0.40 Ampere at frequencies between 200 and 1500 Hz. The current shall be maintained until the animal is stunned. Carbon dioxide stunning | ||||
| No beak trimming - chickens, turkeys and hens | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Beak trimming involves changing part of the beak to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism. Feather pecking and cannibalism occur to a lesser extent in a good stable environment in which stress is alleviated. Hence not permitting beak trimming is a relevant animal welfare criterion. Criterion text Chicken and hen raw material shall come from animals whose beaks have not been changed during rearing by means of beak trimming, for example. This also applies to the parental generation. Turkey raw material shall come from animals whose beaks have not been changed during rearing by means of beak trimming, for example. | ||||
| Responsible use of antibiotics - Chickens, turkeys and hens | Core | Special contract terms | ||
Criterion information Requiring responsible use of antibiotics can help ensure that antibiotics are only used when necessary for animal health. High use of antibiotics in the production of animal products is associated with increased development of resistance to antibiotics, posing a threat to global public health. High antibiotic use also presents a challenge in terms of sustainability. Criterion text The supplier undertakes to deliver, from the start of the contract, only raw material from chickens, turkeys and hens produced in such a manner that antibiotics, as defined in Regulation 2019/6/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, are not used to promote growth or routinely prevent disease. Antibiotics shall only be used on veterinary prescription for sick animals or for animals in groups where disease has broken out, after clinical disease has been diagnosed in part of the group. There shall be documentation for raw material from chickens, turkeys and hens throughout the contract period showing the total number of medical treatments, the reason for treatment and the preparations used. Documentation per flock1 will be sufficient. Third and fourth generation cephalosporins may only be used when microbiological and resistance testing shows that there is no effective alternative. Coccidiostats as feed additives are not deemed to be antibiotics in this criterion. | ||||
| Minimal use of antibiotics - chicken | Advanced | Special contract terms | ||
Criterion information Requiring minimal use of antibiotics can help ensure that antibiotics are used only when necessary for animal health. High use of antibiotics in the production of animal products is associated with increased development of resistance to antibiotics. Criterion text The supplier undertakes to deliver, from the start of the contract, only raw material from chicken produced in such a manner that antibiotics, as defined in Regulation 2019/6/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, are not used to promote growth or routinely prevent disease. Antibiotics shall only be used on veterinary prescription for sick animals or for animals in groups where disease has broken out, after clinical disease has been diagnosed in part of the group. There shall be documentation for the raw material throughout the contract period showing the total number of medical treatments, the reason for treatment and the preparations used. Documentation per flock1 in the stable section2 where production took place will suffice. A maximum of 1 per cent of the chicken raw material delivered during each 12-month period of the contract, starting from the beginning of the contract, may have been treated with antibiotics as defined in Regulation 2019/6/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. Third and fourth generation cephalosporins may only be used when microbiological and resistance testing shows that there is no effective alternative. Coccidiostats as feed additives are not deemed to be antibiotics in this criterion. | ||||
| Health accounting system - chicken and turkey | Core | Special contract terms | ||
Criterion information Healthy chickens and turkeys are a key aspect for animal welfare, health and well-being, but also for climate impact. Important animal health indicators include foot health, preventive disease control (for example cleaning between batches of animals in the stable) and stocking density. Criterion text Documentation shall be available throughout the contract period for chicken and turkey raw material, showing that the raw material has been produced taking into account preventive health parameters for animal welfare that include as a minimum:
The health parameters shall be systematically monitored, causes such as foot injuries or infections shall be analysed, and deviations shall be documented and lead to appropriate action in consultation with a veterinarian or production advisor in order to remedy the problems. | ||||
| Breeds with limited growth rate - chicken | Spearhead | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Chicken breeds with limited growth rate is one of several parameters that may enhance animal welfare. Studies show that chickens of slower growing breeds exhibit more natural behaviours and have better health than fast growing hybrids. Criterion text Chicken raw material shall come from breeds with a Daily Average Gain of no more than 50 grams per day1.
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| More sustainably produced soy in animal feed | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information The cultivation of soy can entail large environmental risks due to the high use of pesticides, soil erosion, along with the risk for land use change and deforestation in species-rich forest and grassland areas. Contracting organisations can specify requirements that improve the prerequisites for a transition to a more sustainable production of soy. Criterion text Animal-based foods shall come from animals where the soy1, if included in the feed, is produced in such a way that, at a minimum, it covers the following:
It is adequate that the documentation of the traceability of the soy can be shown through a segregated supply chain (Identity Preserved or Segregated), or through the principle of mass balance, or through the principle for credits (Credits/Book and Claim). | ||||
| Feed without fish raw material - chicken | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Most of the fish used for fishmeal comes from unsustainable fishing. Overfishing can result in the collapse of marine ecosystems and adversely affect marine biodiversity. Avoiding fishmeal in feed can help reduce the demand for fishmeal. Criterion text Chicken raw material shall come from animals that have been given feeds containing no fish raw material throughout the entire rearing process. | ||||
| Feed without GMO-content | Spearhead | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Purchasing organisations that wish to contribute to restriction of the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture can require animals to be fed feed that does not contain GMOs. Criterion text Products of animal origin shall come from animals that have not eaten feed consisting of, containing or produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) during the rearing period. Traces of permitted GMOs1 may only be present in a proportion not exceeding 0.9 per cent for each individual raw material, provided that the presence is unintentional or technically unavoidable. | ||||
Chickens are the most common domestic animal that is best at converting grain and protein feed into meat. Chicken causes low greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat compared to other meat, but more than for vegetables. Feed accounts for more than two-thirds of total greenhouse gas emissions in the production of chicken meat, which means that feed consumption per kilogram of meat and the choice of feeds influence the climate impact of the meat. Animal health and welfare are also important for the environmental and climate impact of the meat. The RISE climate database contains data that allows chicken to be compared with other foods.
Find out more about the RISE climate database.
A low mortality rate and healthy animals result in lower environmental and climate impact per kilogram of meat. Defining requirements for animal welfare and animal health when procuring chicken may therefore help to reduce environmental and climate impact.
Production of chicken meat takes place in relatively similar ways all over the world, but with differences in terms of requirements in respect of animal husbandry, animal health and disease control. Chickens are reared to about 1.3–4 kg and slaughtered at five to six weeks of age, if they are of a fast growing breed. In the case of organic production, chickens shall have access to outdoor areas and their feed shall be organically produced. The rearing period is longer, which means higher feed consumption per kilogram of meat. Organically produced chickens are slaughtered at 81 days of age, or else they can be slaughtered at another time when slow growing breeds are used.
Consumption of chicken meat has been increasing for a long time. Production in Sweden has also increased, as have imports and exports. According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, poultry meat is imported mainly from Denmark, but also from Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Latvia, as well as from non-EU countries such as Thailand and Brazil.
Chicken meat and processed meat products (including heat-treated, ground and cooked products) containing chicken meat are covered by the criteria. A thorough market analysis of the preferred range shall be carried out before each procurement procedure, as the food products market is constantly evolving.
Examples of products covered by the requirements:
- Fresh and frozen chicken, whole or cut into pieces, natural, seasoned or marinated
- Chicken nuggets
- Chicken meatballs
- Chicken schnitzel
- Chicken kebab
- Minced chicken
- Timbal
- Sausages and other delicatessen products made from chicken
Use the criterion or criteria which best suits your organization’s needs, goals and capacity to monitor compliance. Indicate in the document specifically which products are to fulfil the requirement and be sure to inform yourself of market availability. It is also important to state how the tenderer should respond to the criteria and what evidence is to be provided.