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Food: do the French eat Ukrainian chicken without knowing it?
Food: do the French eat Ukrainian chicken without knowing it? – (France 2)
Half of the chicken we eat comes from abroad. Among the countries of origin, there is Ukraine. However, on the labels of several products, only the words “European Union Origin” are present.
In pizzas, nuggets or even poultry hams, it’s difficult to know where the chicken comes from. The provenance is not noted or remains unclear on the label. Half of the chicken we consume comes from abroad, particularly from Ukraine. On several products, the only indication present is: “European Union (EU) origin”. Up to 24,000 tonnes of Ukrainian chicken pass through Europe each month, notably the Netherlands, to be processed before arriving on French shelves with EU origin on the label.
230,000 tonnes imported into Europe in 2023
If we consume so much Ukrainian chicken today, it is because, since the start of the war, customs duties on these products have been suspended. Ukrainian chickens are also very inexpensive. The price per kilo of French poultry is 6.80 euros, while that from Ukraine costs half as much: 3.16 euros per kilo. The reason ? Less expensive labor and less restrictive standards for the treatment of poultry. Last year, 230,000 tons of Ukrainian chickens were imported to Europe.
