This Wednesday Jamie Oliver will empower Australian consumers with the knowledge
to help them make informed decisions that will improve the lives of millions of layer and
meat chickens across the country.
Jamie’s Fowl Dinners is a challenging look at the poultry industry and aims to tell
shoppers the truth about where their food comes from.
RSPCA Australia fully supports the celebrity chef and animal welfare advocate in his
bid to educate people about how their food is farmed.
The RSPCA’s Chief Scientist, Dr Bidda Jones, said there are 11.6 million egg laying
hens in Australia leading miserable lives in cages and if consumers choose wisely they
have the power to get them out.
“The welfare of most meat chickens, or broilers, is also significantly compromised in
Australia, with the vast majority of broilers farmed intensively in sheds. The scale of
this industry in Australia is vast, with over 450 million chickens slaughtered every year,”
Dr Jones said.
“People need to be able to make an informed decision at the supermarket. They can’t
do that unless they are given all the information, until high animal-welfare products are
more readily available and, importantly, they are able to trust product labelling.”
Dr Jones said the program will show some chickens being killed, which will be
confronting for some people.
“Jamie Oliver is a licensed slaughterman and the animals are humanely killed in a way
that reflects what happens every day in Australia.
“This is the reality of food production across all production systems. People shouldn’t
be sheltered from it, they should be given all the facts so they can make informed
decisions.
“The RSPCA would never condone the killing of animals for entertainment however we
believe this program is about educating people.
“If we are going to eat chicken and eggs we should know exactly what that involves
and strive to buy the highest welfare product we can afford.”
The RSPCA encourages people to tune in to Channel 10 this Wednesday at 9:30pm.
Media contact: Lisa Chalk, RSPCA Australia - (02) 6282 8300 / 0419 748 907 / lchalk@rspca.org.au
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