Costco’s low-priced rotisserie chickens are under fire from an animal rights group accusing the retail giant of keeping the birds in "crowded, filthy barns" as a way to cut production costs and keep prices low.
The allegations by Mercy For Animals, a nonprofit animal protection organization, center on the company’s Nebraska chicken processing plant. Investigators went undercover at the facility, which opened in 2019 and produces millions of chickens for Costco that eventually retail for $4.99 in stores.
They reported shocking conditions: "Chickens struggling to walk under their own unnatural weight. Bodies burned bare from ammonia-laden litter. Dead days-old chicks. Piles of rotting birds." Investigators said many of the chicks are deformed, and that "countless birds suffer from serious illness and severe injuries."
The report included startling video.
Costco sent the following statement to KCBS Radio: "Costco is committed to maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare, humane processes and ethical conduct throughout the supply chain. Lincoln Premium Poultry (LPP) shares our commitment, as do the independent growers selected for the program who have been carefully chosen based on our mutual business philosophies. Independent audits are regularly performed to ensure all parties are consistently in compliance. Costco and LPP will use the results of our audits as well as other sources of information, including this video, to make further improvements to our animal welfare processes."
Costco General Counsel John Sullivan spoke with The New York Times about the video over the weekend, saying it shows "normal and uneventful activity," adding that "no system is foolproof when you are raising 18 million broilers at any given time." He told the paper "the company is working to adjust the genetics of Costco birds to develop a ‘more proportionate’ build, but that this takes time."
The bulk retailer's cheap rotisserie chicken is beloved by customers.
Part of Mercy For Animals’ news release included a reference to its "Better Chicken Commitment," which has been signed by over 200 companies like Burger King, Subway, Popeyes, Chipotle, Whole Foods and Shake Shack.
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