Supermarket chain Aldi UK has pledged to enhance the welfare of chickens by introducing new stocking density requirements for its fresh chicken suppliers.  

The retailer’s fresh chicken will now have an extra 20% more space than the current industry standard.  

Aldi expects to finish the switch to higher welfare standards by the end of October 2024. 

The new welfare standards will afford the chickens more room for natural behaviours, such as stretching their wings, taking a dust bath and roaming.

The birds will also benefit from enhanced access to straw bales, natural light, perches, pecking objects and other environmental enrichments.  

Aldi sources its fresh chicken exclusively from British farms.  

Besides the transition to higher welfare standards, the supermarket has pledged multi-million-pound financial support for its chicken farmers and suppliers throughout 2024/25.  

Aldi UK buying managing director Julie Ashfield said: “Animal welfare is of paramount importance to us. We’re already one of the UK’s largest providers of responsibly farmed chicken and we’ve been working hard with our suppliers to reduce stocking density to help us improve the living conditions of these animals even further. Thanks to this latest improvement, customers will be provided with access to higher welfare chicken at the same great value that can’t be matched.” 

In June 2024 Aldi announced a list of more than 30 stores set to undergo an extensive refurbishment in the summer of 2024.   

The retailer aims to upgrade more than 100 stores in the country during the year.