French Chicken Farming Method
France labels its chicken differently according to the method of production. There are five labels: standard broiler, certified, label rouge, organic and Bresse. Each label represents a progressively more controlled production method, resulting in a progressively higher quality, and therefore more expensive, chicken. The Bresse chicken is the most highly sought and expensive label of all. Does this Spark an idea?
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Standard Broilers
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Standard broilers in France are the least regulated category. Largely utilizing white-feathered, fast-maturing hybrid chickens, standard broilers are raised in densely-packed confinement operations on high protein feed. They are butchered at approximately six weeks of age, making them the most economical chickens for farmers to produce. Because of the comparatively low quality of the end product, however, they also command the lowest prices per pound in the marketplace.
Certified Chicken
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Certified chicken must meet some basic criteria for humane production, including minimum space requirements for each bird and feed rations free of animal byproducts. The meat is tested periodically and must represent a higher quality product for the consumer than the standard broiler. Certified chicken is overseen by the National Institute of the Designation of Quality and Origins and the French Certification Board, as are all French labeled agricultural products.
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Label Rouge
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Label rouge chicken uses hybrid chickens--often breeds with colored feathers--with slower growth than standard broilers. They spend nights in buildings with minimum space requirements, and days outside on free range. They are fed unmedicated rations consisting of at least 75% grain and no animal products including fishmeal. The birds must be at least 81 days old at slaughter and can travel a maximum of 64 miles from the farm to the processing plant.
Organic Chicken
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Organic chicken may be any breed. It is raised without any synthetic inputs, such as antibiotics or pesticides, and fed a ration made up of certified organic grains and soybeans grown without chemical fertilizers or herbicides. No genetically modified organisms may be used in the production of organic chicken. Organic chicken farms must keep detailed records of the purchases of all inputs and undergo periodic inspections and audits to ensure all criteria are being met.
Bresse Chicken
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Bresse chicken is a region-specific label for locally purebred chicken in the Bresse region of France. Bresse chickens are best known for their blue-skinned legs. They are raised on free range with a low-protein grain-based feed for four months, then finished in specially built wooden cages kept in a dark building for two weeks, fed on a mixture of grain and milk. The processed chickens are sold with their legs and often their heads still attached to display the distinctive blue feet and red comb. They command premium prices.
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References
- Photo Credit chicken image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
