Published 27/02/2009

A label that clearly states the reality of standard intensive chicken production has been selected as the winner of the Chicken Out! design competition.

The winning label designed by Debbie Cripps from Moulton, Lincolnshire, provides truthful information that could empower shoppers to make informed choices.

The Chicken Out! campaign has been seeking creative skills in designing a new label for Tesco's standard intensively reared chicken.

Following a Chicken Out! poll, 76% per cent of the almost 10,000 votes found Tesco to have the most misleading chicken label out of five leading UK supermarkets.

Supporters were asked to design a label they think Tesco should be using in order not to mislead its customers. A panel of judges included Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Compassion in World Farming scrolled through the many entries, all highlighting the public's need for clear labelling.

Hugh's comment

Hugh said "I chose the winning label for its transparency and fairness."

"This design is a stark contrast from the outdoor image and misleading wording that currently appears on the Tesco standard chicken label. If Tesco took the principle of this winning label, it would allow shoppers to know the true conditions in which their chicken was produced. And on that basis I'm sure many more Tesco shoppers would choose to switch to a higher welfare choice."

"We have had a fantastic response to our honest label competition which reflects that consumers agree with us that this is a really important issue. If the supermarkets choose not to listen to campaigners, that's one thing. But surely, they must listen to their customer. Let's hope Tesco and the other supermarkets genuinely respond to this kind of feedback."

Winner's comment

Debbie Cripps, competition winner said "I entered the label competition because the 'chicken out' campaign is a topic close to my family's hearts. We have seven hens in our garden for eggs and believe that any animal raised to produce food for human consumption has a right to a good quality of life. Hugh is doing a fantastic job in raising awareness of where our food comes from, but the supermarkets need to do their bit too."

"I designed the label to be visually clear and state facts, it gives information to the consumer so they can make an informed decision when buying their chicken, rather than the welfare issues being disguised by the packaging."

Take action

Compassion in World Farming is calling for clear and honest labelling as to farming method. The winning design has been taken to Tesco urging them to end the use of misleading labels and provide clear and honest information for its customers.

You can take action too; join our campaign