VIDEO: Animal protectors also criticize the Czech retail chain. They draw attention to the desperate conditions of chicken farming

Society OBRAZ – Animal defenders published footage on social networks last week showing the appalling conditions of chickens on several farms. Now the association has drawn attention to the advertising communication of the Albert chain in comparison with footage from the farms from which it takes meat.

Supermarket Albert presents itself in its advertisements as a chain that buys meat from farms where the animals are well taken care of, the association points out in a press release. That’s why he released a new video, “The Leak of the Truth in the Chicken Department,” which contrasts Albert’s communication with real-life footage of the farms from which he takes chickens. The video features, for example, the well-known actor Jiří Černý, who, in the role of Albert’s manager, frantically tries to cover up the “leaked truth”.

Animal rights activists launched the Albert Cruelty campaign by releasing the videos last week. The footage comes from three farms that fatten chickens that are then sold in Albert supermarkets. Specifically, it is supposed to be farms in Semtěš in the Central Bohemian Region, Slavětice and Batelov in Vysočín. Other well-known personalities such as singer Jana Fabiánová or actor Václav Neužil are also joining the campaign. Together, they demand that Albert, like abroad, demand better standards for raising chickens.

“I wanted to help bring attention to the cruelty, pain and suffering of chickens because I believe that’s what nobody really wants. The world is in human hands and it’s up to us whether it becomes hell or not,” says actor Jiří Černý, who stars in the new video.

“Albert claims their meat is from farms where the chickens are well taken care of. But we know that the meat sold by Albert comes from farms where chickens live in truly disastrous conditions. If you are also not indifferent to it, take a look at www.albertovakrutost.cz and normally write to Albert what you think about it and call on them to put an end to it,” Václav Neužil Jr. urges the public.

According to the association, almost two million people have viewed footage from the breeding of Albert’s chickens on social networks. He also pointed out that after the footage was released, he pulled the string of “advertisements featuring happy animals” from his YouTube channel.

“It’s high time Albert stopped making excuses and blaming everyone else. It is Albert who dictates the conditions to his suppliers. If it wants to bring its ads into line with reality, it needs to start demanding concrete changes, especially the breeding of healthier breeds and more space for each chicken. At home in the Netherlands and Belgium, Albert has already done it, and there is no reason why he cannot take the same step in the Czech Republic,” said campaign manager Radim Trojan.

Last week, when asked by FORUM 24, Albert said that he buys poultry meat exclusively from domestic breeders who are under the control of state supervisory authorities. “Our suppliers guarantee us not only Czech origin, but also full compliance with all legislative requirements, including consideration of animal welfare. To increase the transparency of our products and consumer awareness, we print a QR code on the packaging, which allows customers to find out information about the location of the farm where the chicken was raised,” said spokesman Jiří Mareček. He added that the footage was taken on the farm of the RABBIT company of businessman Zdenek Jandejsko.

“The minimum standards we require from suppliers are publicly available on our website. I emphasize that these are minimum standards. But then there are our other activities – as the first retailer on the Czech market, we introduced a comprehensive program of our own brand of chicken from enriched breeding. This type of slow-growing poultry is different from regular chickens, raised on separate farms with enriched breeding and extended fattening periods,” the chain said.

The RABBIT company then stated in a statement that the breeding of chickens, their transport and processing are governed by applicable legal regulations, namely the Veterinary Act, the Animal Protection Act, Council Directive 2007/43/EC on minimum rules for the protection of chickens raised for meat. “Each farm is assigned a farm registration number and is supervised by the local state veterinary administration,” explained company director Tomáš Fulín. According to him, no wrongdoings and violations of applicable regulations governing the breeding of chickens for meat have been found on the farm over the past three years.