Leading Food and Retail Brands Announce Formation of the US Working Group for Broiler Welfare

Seven companies are working with Compassion in World Farming to improve broiler chicken welfare standards

New York, NY—In recognition of the collaboration needed to improve broiler chicken welfare, seven leading food and restaurant companies—Aramark, Compass Group, Nestlé USA, Panera Bread, Shake Shack, Sodexo and Target—have come together to form the US Working Group for Broiler Welfare. 

The US Working Group for Broiler Welfare, facilitated by Compassion in World Farming and Blue House Sustainability Consulting, aims to support members in exploring workable strategies and creative solutions for transitioning supply chains through the lens of the welfare standards outlined in the Better Chicken Commitment.  

“I am thrilled to join the Working Group as we push to improve broiler chicken welfare across the industry. Shake Shack’s focus on premium ingredients, thoughtful sourcing and animal welfare has always been core to who we are,” said Jeffrey Amoscato, SVP Supply Chain & Menu Innovation at Shake Shack. “We’re looking forward to learning from and collaborating with our peers to better understand barriers and potential solutions for accelerating improvements more broadly.”  

“As this working group aligns with Sodexo’s global animal welfare position, we embrace the opportunity to work collectively to improve broiler chicken welfare and foster better engagement with the industry as a whole,” said Judy Panayos, Sr. Director Sustainability for Sodexo.  

“Bringing restaurant leaders together in the Working Group will help us collaborate and innovate across all parts of this important transition—from impacts on farmers to measurement of animal care,” said Sara Burnett, VP of Food Values, Sustainability and Public Affairs at Panera Bread. “These discussions will help us as we continually strive to provide responsibly raised proteins.” 

Over 200 brands in the United States have committed to improve welfare standards in alignment with the Better Chicken Commitment, which sets a baseline welfare standard for breed selection, space allocation, environmental enrichments, slaughter method, and third-party auditing.  

About Compassion in World Farming and Blue House Sustainability Consulting

Founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer, Compassion in World Farming works closely with companies, policy makers, and the public to drive large-scale and meaningful improvements for farmed animals.  Blue House Sustainability Consulting is led by Mindy Gomes-Casseres, an expert with more than 20 years’ experience in helping global Fortune 500 companies craft leading sustainability strategies and communications.  

 Media Contact: Jeff Doyle at jeff.doyle@ciwf.org