July 1, 2009

UK consumers are shifting preferences from smaller chicken breasts to larger breasts, a trend that is believed to have been influenced by TV cookery shows featuring recipes by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

UK poultry producers are using a new breed of chicken to meet consumer demand for birds with bigger breasts, and the birds will be sold under the Freedom Food label from September.

Shoppers were increasingly reluctant to buy chickens with smaller breasts despite price promotions, said delegates at an NFU council meeting on Tuesday (Jun 30).

The new chicken breed was slower maturing and more acceptable to the consumers, said NFU poultry chairman Charles Bourns.

Meanwhile, egg producers have benefited after media reports urged shoppers to buy smaller eggs because they are less painful to lay. Farmers were now producing smaller eggs by encouraging birds to start laying earlier, often starting at 16 weeks old.