Revealed: over 60 million chickens in England and Wales rejected over disease and defects

By Claire Colley and Andrew Wasley

More than 61 million chickens were rejected because of diseases and defects at slaughterhouses in England and Wales over a three-year period, according to figures analysed by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Guardian.

Broilers, chickens raised for meat, were the worst affected with almost 59 million defects recorded. More than 39 million broilers arrived and were rejected at slaughter due to disease — approximately 35,000 every day.

The inspection findings, compiled from Food Standards Agency (FSA) data, resulted in either part of a bird or a whole bird being condemned and rejected for human consumption.

New data shows that between July 2016 and June 2019, 61,008,212 defects in chickens were identified by inspection staff at various points in the meat production process after arrival at slaughter. This figure includes spent laying hens as well as hens and cockerels used for breeding, which may be sold as meat.

There were a further 1.7 million diseases and 2.5 million full condemnations in Scotland during a three-year period between 2016 and the end of 2018.