The tours form part of the ongoing education drive around industry practices and dispelling entrenched myths about the chicken meat industry.

Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director of the ACMF said: “Our tours are designed to give attendees such as journalists, nutritionists, bloggers and teachers, a first-hand experience of the processes involved in getting chicken from the hatchery to the plate and to speak with a range of experts from the industry. There are a lot of misconceptions out there that we address on the day.”

The day-long tour began at the hatchery, to see the fertile eggs being incubated, their transfer at 18 days of incubation to the hatchers, the chicks being removed from the hatchers following hatching and dispatch of the day old chicks to the farm.

The tour then travelled a short distance to visit a chicken shed at the farm to see how the chickens are raised.

Dr Dubs continued: “Biosecurity is extremely important. The health and well-being of the day-old chicks and birds at the hatchery and farm depends on it.

“All attendees were required therefore to shower before entering the hatchery facility and at the farm and plant level need to wear protective clothing, disinfect shoes in a footbath and wash hands. Logistics of hosting such a tour takes careful planning, to ensure all biosecurity requirements are adhered too, but is we believe an important step in educating about industry practices.”

Following a ‘chicken- themed’ lunch the tour continues onto the processing facilities. Senior Managers and the CEO will be on hand during the final part of the tour to answer any additional questions.

“The industry continues to proactively tell its story, and set the facts straight and the opportunity to host these tours and be transparent about what happens at every stage of the process is invaluable,” concluded Dr Dubs.