Kenchic publicly launched its commitment to animal welfare and food safety today, through a number of policy and guideline documents that can be found on the company’s website.
As the leading integrated poultry producer in East and Central Africa, supplying processed chicken to consumers and day-old chicks to farmers, Kenchic places the highest priority on the birds it farms to produce the safest and healthiest products for its customers.
Kenchic announced the following policies, guidelines, and commitments. Its Animal Welfare Policy, Antimicrobial Usage Policy, Food Safety Policy, Wastes, and Emissions Policy, Culling and Euthanasia Policy, Environmental Enrichment Guidelines, and its Commitment to Animal Welfare.
The launch of these commitments and policies is part of the company’s journey in aligning with global standards and improving the standards in the local poultry industry regarding animal welfare and food safety.
Kenchic ensures that all its farms and facilities adhere to the strictest food safety and animal welfare protocols laid down by reputable global organizations such as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Kenchic chickens are reared in bio-secure and stable environments with ample space for them to move around in, allowing them to behave naturally and live free from stress and harm.
The chickens are continuously supplied with fresh, clean, potable water and fed on a well-balanced plant-based poultry diet in line with animal welfare and food safety regulations.
“At Kenchic, we believe there is a clear connection between animal welfare, food safety, productivity, and consumer preferences. We strive to ensure all our chickens are kept in the very best conditions to ensure food safety. We are continuously committed to positioning our business to fully meet and exceed international and national standards, including but not limited to our food safety and farming practices in line with animal welfare to deliver the highest quality products our consumers can trust,” says Kenchic lead veterinarian Dr. Watson Messo.
The attendees at the launch event are valued stakeholders in what Kenchic Ltd. is trying to achieve regarding animal welfare and food safety standards and practices in the poultry industry.
Guests included members of the retail and hospitality industry in Kenya, along with members of government, most notably the CAS of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Lawrence Omuhaka, who gave the keynote address.
“Our mission is to be the ‘Chicken of Choice’ wherever we operate. We commit to continue working, together with stakeholders, to build the region’s poultry industry, its standards, and providing consumers with the safest, healthiest chicken products produced in accordance with international animal welfare and food safety standards,” says Kenchic Managing Director Jim Tozer.
In addition to these new commitments, the company is currently working on a sustainability plan that will ensure Kenchic becomes a carbon neutral business and a NetZero energy producer, including that it reaches its target of phasing out plastic packaging by the end of 2030
