PCC Community Markets Joins the Better Chicken Initiative

The nation’s largest community-owned food market pledges enhanced welfare standards for all fresh, frozen and ready-to-eat chicken products sold in its stores by 2024; announces storewide rollout of private-label organic chicken

(SEATTLE, May 10, 2018) – In 1994, PCC Community Markets (PCC) helped introduce organic eggs and milk to Seattle shoppers. Today, nearly 25 years later, the nation’s largest community-owned food market announced its commitment to improve the welfare of chickens raised for meat by meeting the standards of Compassion in World Farming’s Better Chicken Initiative (BCI) and the Joint Animal Protection Organization Statement on Broiler Chicken Welfare. As the first retailer in the country to comprehensively address broiler chicken welfare — not only for fresh and frozen chicken but also ready-to-eat chicken products — the co-op furthers its dedication to higher product standards.

PCC also announced that it will introduce a private-label line of organic, air-chilled chicken in partnership with Sanger, Cali.-based Pitman Farms. As the first farm in its industry to be verified with the Non-GMO Project, Pitman Farms has a long legacy of responsible farming, animal welfare and environmental standards. Available in store in late May, PCC Organic Chicken will include fresh chicken that meets the BCI requirements.

“Today we expand upon PCC’s longstanding commitment to healthier food production systems,” said Brenna Davis, PCC Community Markets VP of Social and Environmental Responsibility, “ensuring that chickens raised for meat are treated in ways recommended by our nation’s top experts. We are grateful to partner with Compassion in World Farming on this important issue, and together, we hope to inspire our industry to do better.”

PCC currently carries organic fresh and frozen chicken that meets higher welfare standards than conventional commercial methods. PCC will further this by pledging that 100 percent of its fresh and frozen chicken, and ready-to-eat chicken products, meet the following guidelines by 2024:

• Transition to strains of birds accepted for use by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) or Global Animal Partnership (GAP) based on measurably improved welfare outcomes;
• Reduce stocking density to a maximum of 6 lbs. per square foot and prohibit broiler cages;
• Provide birds enhanced environments including litter, lighting and enrichment that meets GAP’s new standards;
• Process chickens in a manner that avoids pre-stun handling and instead utilizes a multistep controlled-atmosphere processing system that induces an irreversible stun; and
• Demonstrate compliance with the above standards via third-party auditing.

“As the first retailer to commit to improving broiler chicken welfare for its ready-to-eat chicken products in addition to fresh and frozen chicken, PCC furthers its strong and longstanding commitment to farmed animal welfare,” said Katya Simkhovich, Food Business Manager with Compassion in World Farming. “We are thrilled to have PCC as a partner in continuing to push the needle meaningfully forwards on broiler chicken animal welfare.”

PCC has among the highest product standards in the country. More than 95 percent of its produce selection is organic; its meats are 100 percent organic, non-GMO or grass fed; its seafood is sustainably sourced adhering to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch standards; and, whenever possible, the co-op sources its products from organic and local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishers. Its shelves are stocked with products made without harmful artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, nanotechnology or synthetic biology. It also has one of the cleanest selections of health and body care products, turning away more than 500 ingredients allowed at other retailers.

About PCC Community Markets

Founded in Seattle in 1953, PCC Community Markets (PCC) is the nation’s largest community-owned food market with an unmatched enthusiasm for making food from scratch. Celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2018, PCC is a haven for those who share a dedication to fresh, organic seasonal food that is sustainably sourced from local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishers. With an active membership of more than 60,000 households, PCC operates 11 stores in the Puget Sound area, including the cities of Bothell, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle. Seattle stores are in the neighborhoods of Columbia City, Fremont, Green Lake, View Ridge and West Seattle, which will reopen in 2019. The co-op also plans to open new stores in Burien, Wash. in May 2018, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in 2019 and Madison Valley and Downtown Seattle in 2020.

Over the last five years, the co-op gave more than 50 percent of its after-tax net earnings back to its members, and an additional eight percent of its after-tax net earnings to schools and nonprofits around the Puget Sound area, including PCC Farmland Trust, Washington Tilth Association and FareStart. For more information, visit: Facebook and Instagram.

Media contact

Laura Ray on Behalf of PCC Community Markets
laura@lauraraypr.com or 206-715-4888