Chicken meat company Kenchic has assured its consumers that the it observes the highest animal welfare standards and food safety.
The company on Thursday launched guidelines and commitments it says would guarantee safety of its products as uphold the rights the chicken it rears for business.
The commitments include animal welfare policy, Antimicrobial Usage Policy, Food Safety Policy, Wastes and Emissions Policy, Culling and Euthanasia Policy, and Environmental Enrichment.
The launch of the guidelines was graced by Agriculture CAS Lawrence Omuhaka, who gave the keynote address.
It says the commitments, and policies are part of its journey in aligning with global standards and improving the standards in the local poultry industry regarding animal welfare and food safety.
The company is believed to be one of the leading integrated poultry producer in East and Central Africa, supplying processed chicken to consumers and day-old chicks to farmers.
The move by the company comes a mid reports that a huge chunk of peanut products in the market were found to be unsafe for human consumption.
In addition to the 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.
It also wants to phase out plastic packaging by the end of 2030.
Kenchic Managing Director Jim Tozer said that the company's farms and facilities adhere to the strictest food safety and animal welfare protocols laid down by entities like 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.," he said.
As a matter of animal welfare, he said, 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.
Its lead veterinarian Watson Messo said that there is a clear connection between animal welfare, food safety, productivity, and consumer preferences and hence the strict guidelines.
"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."
Tozer said that the guidelines were not the destination of the company's improvement journey and that it was continuous.
“We commit to continuously 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,” the Managing Director said.
