KFC UK & Ireland has published its first annual welfare progress report.

The report is an honest and open review of KFC’s poultry supply chain – showcasing the steps the fried chicken restaurant is taking to improve welfare within the industry.

Authored by independent auditors FAI Farms, the report outlines the seven steps of the audit process and key data capture, which KFC UK & Ireland will use as a benchmark to track year on year progress and hold themselves and their suppliers accountable as they work towards improving the lives of chicken within the supply chain.

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Speaking on the launch of the report, Paula MacKenzie, general manager of KFC UK & Ireland, said: “Our mission is simple. We aim to serve the most delicious chicken, freshly prepared by hand in our restaurants, sourced from birds that have had a good life.

"Signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment last year was a huge step for us - and now this first edition of our annual progress report allows us to document our ongoing journey towards ever-improving chicken welfare.

"This report sends a clear message to everyone – our suppliers, our teams and our stakeholders – on exactly what we are looking for in terms of welfare improvement. We know that what gets measured gets managed, and the figures in this report represent a solid benchmark against which we can track our future progress.”

Key insights from the report include:

• KFC’s new state-of-the-art welfare tool will help identify and drive meaningful improvement across the supply chain by giving instant, real-time feedback to suppliers

• Supplier partnership, NGO engagement and effective data capture is vital in creating meaningful change and helping suppliers measure their welfare outcomes. Farmers supplying KFC UK & Ireland monitor their welfare indicators every single day - with additional independent audits on a 15-month cycle.

• Whilst KFC is focused on tracking improvement, there is still work as an industry to be done. KFC is reliant on not only its supply chain moving forward but other food businesses to make positive changes for animal welfare