Mercy For Animals’ new shopper-led report, “White Striping at Whole Foods,” spotlights the use of fast-growing chicken breeds, referred to as “Frankenchickens,” in Whole Foods’ supply chain. Despite the company’s public promise to stop sourcing these birds by 2024 through the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), the report shows photographic evidence of white-striping disease from 100% of stores surveyed by shoppers.
In contrast, Natural Grocers has made significant progress toward meeting BCC standards, with a clear roadmap for transitioning to slower-growing breeds. The company reports that the transition to these higher-welfare breeds is 90% complete. This underscores that change is possible, yet Whole Foods continues to lag, failing to meet their public promises.
“As a physician, I am deeply concerned about the risks of Frankenchickens—birds bred for unnaturally fast growth, leading to weakened immune systems in chickens,” said Michael Greger, M.D., author of Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching. “Factory farms create the perfect conditions for the spread of dangerous diseases like bird flu, putting both animals and people at risk.”
Despite Whole Foods’ marketed ethical food claims and promises, findings reveal:
- All 88 Whole Foods stores investigated across 58 cities were found to sell chicken with clear evidence of white striping.
- Whole Foods’ reliance on fast-growing birds suffering from muscle diseases contributes to poor animal welfare, compromised meat quality, and factory farms’ vulnerability to the spread of bird flu.
- Scientists warn that factory farms could incubate even deadlier strains of bird flu, potentially triggering a future pandemic. Despite these risks, the poultry industry prioritizes profit over public health.
- In the U.S., most of the more than nine billion chickens slaughtered for meat each year are Frankenchickens.
Shoppers at Whole Foods are likely unknowingly buying chicken displaying visible scarring, which indicates not just cruel breeding but poor meat quality — higher fat content and reduced nutritional value — raising concerns for health-conscious shoppers. Mercy For Animals calls on Whole Foods to fulfill their pledge to stop selling meat from birds bred for abnormal growth.
