A documentary broadcast on television in Denmark about what goes on inside a chicken farm in the country has sparked such a wave of outrage that the government has been prompted to act. The executive is considering banning the farming of fast-growing chickens, the so-called "turbo chickens", and is calling for this genetically selected ultra-fast-growing breed to be banned across the entire European Union.

What the documentary broadcast in Denmark about chicken farming shows

Footage filmed covertly inside a farm in northern Jutland reveals that one of Denmark's leading poultry producers, Christian Tvergaard, allegedly broke Danish law by cutting in half the daily dark period prescribed for chickens, in order to push them to eat more and therefore grow faster.

Denmark's Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare, Christian Rabjerg Madsen, has urged citizens not to buy turbo chickens: "It is clear that the issue requires further examination both from a legal and an economic perspective," he stated, "but we will work towards a national ban and, at the same time, action at European Union level."

In response to the documentary, the farmer admitted to having made wrong choices: "There are no excuses, but I can learn from my mistakes and remedy what was not handled properly," he said. Subsequently, Tvergaard stated that he had revised the lighting programme and procedures within the farm, making both the working protocols and staff shifts more rigorous.

What turbo chickens are

Meanwhile, the proposal to ban turbo chickens is gaining support from several political factions in Denmark. Fast-growing chickens belong to the Ross 308 breed, the most widespread in Danish poultry farming: in just 33 days, the animal goes from around 50 grams to 2 kilograms in weight, compared to 46–63 days for other breeds. Such accelerated growth can cause serious problems to the bones and organs.

Turbo chickens are widespread throughout the European Union, Italy included: according to the organisation Eurogroup for animals, 95% of chickens in the EU are raised in intensive systems, genetically selected to obtain the maximum amount of meat at the lowest possible cost: "These breeds are inherently predisposed to suffering: their bodies grow so rapidly that the animals struggle even to stand upright," explains Reineke Hameleers, the organisation's director. "Denmark's political will to put an end to all this is an example that the European Union should follow."

Britta Riis, director of Animal Protection Denmark, describes ultra-fast-growing chickens as the result of a "deeply immoral and grotesque farming practice" that entails "systematic abuse" and considerable suffering for the animals.

The issue of animal welfare has become central to public debate in Denmark in recent months. The question of pig farming dominated the last general election, to the extent that the electoral round earned the nickname "the pig election". The new government abolished the agriculture ministry and established the Ministry of Nature and Animal Welfare: the message is that agriculture and livestock farming must not be regulated solely as a productive sector, but that climate, environmental and animal welfare objectives must also be taken into account.

How to recognise a turbo chicken

The French consumer association 60millions des consommateurs has published some tips to help shoppers understand whether they are looking at a turbo chicken in the supermarket. The first piece of advice is to assume that the standard chicken is an ultra-fast-growing chicken; the vast majority of chickens sold in large retail chains or served in fast food restaurants do, in fact, belong to this breed.

White striations on the breast fillet or meat that has released a lot of liquid can be indicators that the animal grew too quickly. The association recommends relying above all on certifications or explicit labelling referring to the use of slow-growing chickens. It points out that descriptions such as "free-range", "non-GMO" and "raised without antibiotics" do not mean the product is not a turbo chicken.

The European organic label offers an additional guarantee: the European organic regulation stipulates that poultry must be reared until they reach a minimum age of 81 days or must come from slow-growing genetic types suited to outdoor farming.