Uncovering the Origins of Walmart’s Frozen Chicken

Consumers regularly buy frozen chicken products at Walmart. With stores all over the United States and low prices, Walmart has become one of the biggest sellers of frozen chicken. However, many customers are curious about where Walmart’s frozen chicken comes from since there isn’t much information on the packaging.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll trace the complex journey frozen chicken takes before landing in the freezer aisles of your local Walmart You’ll learn about the massive poultry suppliers, industrial farming operations, and processing facilities involved in order to gain a clearer picture of the origins of this popular product.

The Main Suppliers of Chicken to Walmart

Walmart does not raise or process any chicken itself. Instead, it purchases pre-packaged frozen chicken products from a few major U.S. poultry suppliers:

• Tyson Foods – Provides approximately 25% of all chicken sold at Walmart. They supply hundreds of millions of pounds per year through contracts. Tyson is the largest meat processor in America.

• The third largest chicken producer in the U.S. is Sanderson Farms. S. Supplies both fresh and frozen chicken to Walmart stores.

• Perdue Farms – Contracts with Walmart to produce their branded frozen chicken items like chicken nuggets and tenders. The second largest chicken company.

By consolidating its supply chain to a handful of large producers like these, Walmart can secure an abundant, low-cost source of chicken year-round to stock its freezer sections.

The Conditions Chickens are Raised In

The vast majority of chicken sold in the U.S., including at Walmart, comes from industrial large-scale farming operations known as CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).

In these crowded facilities, tens of thousands of chickens are packed together in huge windowless warehouses. Each chicken may have less than 1 square foot of space. As a result, disease spreads rapidly and millions of pounds of waste are produced per farm.

To maximize profits, the chickens are also genetically selected and fed specialized diets to fatten them up 2-3 times faster than normal. They reach market weight in just 6-7 weeks. This accelerated growth often causes lameness and other health issues.

While criticized on ethical grounds, this intensive factory farming enables the level of efficiency and economies of scale required to supply Walmart’s shelves with budget-priced frozen chicken.

The Processing of Raw Chicken into Packaged Products

Once chickens reach market weight at around 6-7 weeks old, they are transported to slaughter and processing facilities. One of Walmart’s biggest suppliers Tyson Foods alone operates over 50 poultry processing plants.

At these facilities, the chickens are first stunned and then killed on automated disassembly lines processing up to 140 birds per minute. After slaughter, machines pluck feathers, remove organs, and cut the carcasses into various portions.

Throughout this process, the raw chicken is regularly tested and inspected for food safety hazards. It is chilled, packaged into bags or boxes, and quick frozen to 0°F for preservation. Finally, the frozen chicken products are shipped out to Walmart distribution centers and stores across America.

Walmart’s Standards for Frozen Chicken Safety and Quality

With food safety being critical for a retailer of their scale, Walmart imposes strict standards for quality assurance and control on its chicken suppliers:

• Suppliers must pass frequent audits examining their facilities, production processes, food safety plans, and more.

• Regular product sampling and lab testing check that microbial, chemical, and physical hazards are controlled.

• Walmart mandates detailed record-keeping for tracking and traceability purposes.

• Suppliers should comply with environmental regulations and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.

By requiring suppliers to implement rigorous food safety management systems and adhere to its stringent requirements, Walmart seeks to mitigate risks and ensure the quality of its frozen chicken.

Options for Sourcing More Sustainable and Ethical Chicken

In response to growing consumer concerns, Walmart has recently taken some steps to offer frozen chicken raised in more sustainable and ethical ways in their stores, such as:

• Chicken certified by Humane Farm Animal Care comes from producers giving animals more space and enrichment. However, it still only represents a tiny fraction of Walmart’s overall chicken.

• Walmart’s Local Sourcing program tries to get chicken from farms less than 100 miles away so that it doesn’t have to travel as far. At the moment, though, less than 1% of their chicken meets these local standards.

Specialty stores like Whole Foods, local butchers, farmers markets, and CSAs may have better chicken options than what you usually find in the freezer section at Walmart for people who want to buy chicken that was raised and processed with more care for animals and the environment.

The Bottom Line

While it’s difficult to pin down one single source, it’s clear that the vast majority of frozen chicken sold at Walmart comes from a few industrial mega-producers like Tyson and Perdue. The cheap prices rely on cost efficiencies from concentrated, intensive farming operations.

However, Walmart has slowly started responding to consumer demands for more sustainably and ethically raised poultry. But those products currently represent only a tiny slice of their overall frozen chicken supply.

Ultimately, Walmart’s distribution clout provides customers coast to coast with affordable access to a convenient protein staple. Yet for shoppers concerned about the environmental and ethical impacts of their food choices, Walmart may leave them wanting more transparency and options.