HelloFresh, the world’s leading provider of home cooking kits, has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), pledging to introduce the higher welfare standards across all its European markets by 2026.

The Berlin-based company believes in responsible sourcing and continuously strives to improve the sustainability of its products. As the business grows, so does its ability to support broad-based efforts across the broiler chicken industry to improve welfare standards.

The company has spent the last year reviewing its chicken supply chain across its nine European markets which has served as a baseline for its roadmap to meet the 2026 target. This roadmap will form an integral part of HelloFresh’s global animal welfare policy and will be aligned to its ambitious sustainability targets.

In the coming year, HelloFresh will work with its suppliers to assess the current availability of higher welfare products, and their plans for welfare improvements, setting mid to long term goals with its supplier base to introduce the ECC criteria.

Compassion’s Director of Food Business Tracey Jones said: “It’s great to see a popular brand like HelloFresh take such a practical approach to introducing these new standards for chickens. Commitments are an important first step, but companies need to form strategic partnerships and plan their transition to be able to change significant production volumes.

“HelloFresh have been incredibly proactive and we look forward to continuing our work with them and other ECC signatories to facilitate the transition via our various industry working groups.

“To date over 100 companies have signed up to the European Chicken Commitment and by working together we can collectively start shaping the market to make higher welfare chicken the new ‘norm’.”

HelloFresh signs European Chicken Commitment