Sustainability Policy

Plukon plays a pioneering role in animal welfare, human and animal health, and innovation in the European poultry industry. We feel responsible in this role for developing healthy and responsibly-produced products.

• Responding to consumer and market demand by developing new products and solutions and playing an active role in the poultry supply chain.
• Working with clients to reduce sugar, salt and fat content in processed chicken products, meals and salad products.
• Working with clients to increase the use of sustainably-produced natural resources in meals and salad products.

We consider it a given that transparency is high on the agenda when it comes to food products and food safety. In fact, this is part of our DNA at Plukon, forming the basis of our growth and driving our successes.

• Improving food safety by reducing campylobacter in the poultry supply chain.
• Participating with supply chain partners in scientific and industrial research to boost food safety in chicken products and meals.
• Helping to improve transparency regarding food origins by encouraging and facilitating participation by broiler farmers in open houses.

Plukon embraces and promotes initiatives related to animal welfare and considers this a given, as providing high-quality feed and excellent facilities and transport are vital to optimum production processes.

• Working with broiler farmers, industry associations and stakeholders to develop innovative, animal-friendly farming solutions.
• Participating with supply chain partners in scientific and industrial research into more animal-friendly slaughter methods and improving animal welfare in broiler houses and during transport.
• Encouraging poultry farmers to participate in market initiatives for improved animal welfare, including Good Brood Chicken in the Netherlands and the Tierwohl Initiative in Germany.
• Plukon accepts no products from farm animals subject to genetic engineering or cloning and/or their descendants.
• Plukon does not accept the use of growth promoting substances in the supply chain.
• Plukon has (normally) no transports over 8 hours. In case of incidents/ like accident, traffic jam, stand still of the slaughterhouse the 8 hours could be exceeded. So, these are incidents. The farms are ideally located most close to the slaughterhouse. Long distance transports are not in the interest of animal welfare, farmer and slaughterhouse. In some customer concepts like Beter Leven 1* , Plukon works with an absolute limit of 3 hours.
• Farm Animal Welfare is an assigned management responsibility for the Plukon Food Group Executive Committee.
• Plukon does not accept routine mutilations in its global supply chain (i.e. castration, toe clipping, de-winging, beak trimming etc.)
• Plukon stuns 100% of the birds prior to slaughtering. Non stunned slaughtering and the use of products derived from non stunned animals are not accepted.

Since healthy chickens lead to healthy chicken products, it is in the interest of both the animals and the business to maintain good health. In fact, animal health is a priority across the entire international poultry industry.

• Actively encouraging all broiler farmers supplying Plukon Food Group to further reduce the use of antibiotics.
• Participating with supply chain partners in scientific and industrial research into preventing animal diseases and into fodder that improves animal health.
• Encouraging broiler farmers in Germany and the traditional segment in the Netherlands to use early feeding.

Adopting more efficient production practices means reducing environmental impact on water, fossil fuels and other resources. Plukon aims to promote efficiency in its production and transport processes on an ongoing basis, in conjunction with animal welfare and animal health.

• Improving the energy efficiency of Plukon Food Group’s production sites and increasing the use of renewable energy.
• Reducing water consumption and improving the reuse of water at production sites.
• Reducing transport distances and durations per kilogram of live animals by further optimising our logistics operations.

Long-term employability of our people is vital to continuity and reliability of supply. Plukon is committed to fostering a safe and enjoyable work environment.

• Promoting the health and long-term employability of staff through workplace education and pilot projects related to long-term employability.
• Achieving high employee satisfaction scores at all Plukon Food Group production sites.
• Reducing sickness absence and workplace accidents by raising awareness among employees and management.