Costco's iconic $5 rotisserie chicken is under fire from animal rights activists
The organization Mercy for Animals published a critique of Costco's chicken production practices.
The group says chickens live in filth and suffer injuries.
Costco is well known for its commitment to keeping rotisserie chickens priced at only $5.
Costco's chickens reportedly suffer in "crowded, filthy barns," according to a release from animal rights group Mercy for Animals.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof highlighted the report in his opinion article that published Saturday, sharing what he called "the cruelties that delivered $4.99 chickens to a Costco rotisserie."
Mercy for Animals investigators visited Costco's chicken processing plant, which is the focus of the criticisms and accusations. To keep costs as low as possible, Costco opened the $450 million facility in Nebraska in 2019, which processes about two million chickens each week, with plans to eventually supply nearly half of the chain's total chickens.
The group alleges that these chickens that eventually end up on the bulk giant's rotisseries live in horrible conditions that include: "chickens struggling to walk under their own unnatural weight. Bodies burned bare from ammonia-laden litter. Dead days-old chicks. Piles of rotting birds."
"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," the company said in a statement to Insider.
Costco general counsel John Sullivan told the Times that most of the footage documented by Mercy for Animals is "normal and uneventful activity," although he also noted that the company is working to change the genetics of Costco chickens to prevent some of the problems.
Sullivan also told Kristof that Costco promotes animal welfare throughout production, including trucks set up specifically for the chickens' comfort. But, "No system is foolproof," he added. Sullivan did not respond to an email from Insider.
Costco has a page on its website documenting commitments for animal welfare. It details how chickens are cared for in the Nebraska facility, including, as Kristof writes, a relatively humane stunning process before slaughter to prevent chickens being boiled alive.
Rotisserie chickens are a Costco staple - the company sold 91 million in 2018, and is publicly committed to keeping them priced at $4.99, below many of its competitors. The price has remained the same since 2009, even as costs of labor and production have increased. Costco takes a loss on the chickens, using them as a strategy to draw customers into stores where they will hopefully purchase other products with higher margins.
The organization asks Costco to adopt "Better Chicken Commitment" standards that other companies, including Popeyes, Burger King, and Chipotle have pledged. Few grocery stores are on the list of 200 businesses, except for Whole Foods.
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