Supermarkets are not doing enough to encourage the sale of chicken with a quality label and some are selling more of the cheapest meat to produce, animal protection organisation Wakker Dier claimed on Thursday.

The organisation conducted a random test among 12 big supermarket chains and found that two thirds of chicken products did not have any form of quality label.

‘That means supermarkets are promoting the sale of chickens raised in the poorest circumstances,’ a Wakker Dier spokesperson said.

Almost 30% of chicken products now have some form of quality label, up seven percentage points compared to last year. But given that last year’s increase was 25%, this year’s figures are not good news, the organisation said.

According to the organisation the so-called plofkip, a chicken fed to grow two kilos in six weeks, has disappeared from most supermarket shelves but 6% of chicken products are still derived from this type of chicken.

Aldi and Hoogvliet were the only two supermarkets who increased the number of plofkip products, the organisation said. In addition, only 19% of Aldi’s chicken has a quality label, compared with 29% last year.

The biggest share of chicken products in Dutch supermarkets comes from the so-called ‘in between chicken’ which grows at a slower pace than the plofkip but whose living conditions do not merit the Beter Leven label introduced by animal protection organisation Dierenbescherming.

The research, which was conducted at Albert Heijn, Aldi, Coop, Deen, Dekamarkt, Dirk, Emté, Hoogvliet, Jumbo, Lidl, Plus en Vomar, took place in July and August.