Animal Welfare

The Red Master brand

Since July 2002. the Red Master brand poultry products, which was expanded according to the French Label Rouge program, could be found in the Hungarian supermarkets. These products are permanently controlled from the plough-land to the table of the consumer and the animals are kept in free range system. To comply with the requirements is not easy in the free range system and the production demands special care.
In the Red Master program the breeding birds are extensive type and slow growing. The hatched out chicks are accommodate in large stables which provide natural light through the windows and adequate temperature.
In the 42nd day of the chick’s life they moved to another stable where they can be outdoor on the fresh air and free to scrape in a land with grass. Free range does not only means that they are not kept indoor but stocking density is lower as well so this raising technology stand closer to the natural. In this system the animal’s food are made by exclusively plant origin (contain: min. 75% corn and wheat). Because of this the meat of these animals’ tastes better and differs from those chickens’ meat which was raised on nutrient only. Their food does not contain any animal protein, growth-hormones or antibiotics. Additionally can be used plant protein (sunflower, soya), vitamins and minerals. The well being of the animals and the longer, 81 day, raising period have a positive effect on the quality of the product. The free range environment is good for the animals from the animal welfare point of you as well.
An independent organisation does the quality control and the consumers could have more information from the label on the product.

Products

Farm chicken

Farm chickens have special care in all their life. They are raised in a natural way so they are able to move and feed in a grassland. Farm chickens are well muscled, the meat contains relatively low free water so the meat has special taste.

Fried chickens

Chickens which are good for this purpose need special raising, keeping and feeding technology. Fried chickens slaughtering weight: 750-1000 grams. To reach this small weight chicken we are using slow growing rate types. Fried chickens meat has excellent taste and smell because of the natural food and free move.

Guinea fowl

It has African origin, and the less domesticated and practically wild breed, which appears in farm using for a long time now. We put them back into their natural environment in our free range system.

Business potential

30% of the whole poultry consumption is from free range system in France. In 2002 they estimated that the 2, 5% of the Hungarian market would be suitable to sell free range meat products. In growing the participation on the Hungarian market has some problem, like they are not able to produce enough meat in these certain circumstances. The price of the free range product is double than the meat from the industrial system. But it needs to be considered that loss during cooking or roasting the meat is just half on the free range meat (because of the free water contain).
Hungarian free range products are based on the Label Rouge system. To put these products on the market the Master Good Company use good marketing strategy. To be successful you need to have good distributors which were hard to find in the beginning. The Avis Food Company helped a lot in the beginning using their connection in Budapest and giving some idea. The result is that the products can be found in big food chains as well now. So you could see that for the success of the Red Master program need patient and capital investment.
It was an important change in the program when we started to pay after quality and not for weight. Required quality is: uniformity, excellent health condition, paddocks quality and cleanness. In case the producers do not meet with these requirements they can get 20-25% less fro the chickens than the normal price.
Quality control is a very important part of the program which is made by an independent organisation. In case they find something against our principles and requirements the particular company cannot take participation in our program. Of course when they are just started the program they have a certain amount of time to meet the requirements. After quality control participants can use our label.

Basic of free range system

• 1.Slow growth rate breeds

Using slower growing breeds we have the opportunity to slaughter the animals later so their meat would taste better.

• 2. Balanced, natural feeding

Using only plant origin food which contain at least ¾ cereals (corn, wheat), and free from antibiotics and hormones.

• 3. Wide room

Free range chickens are raised in stables with natural light and grassland around the stables. The chickens can decide to be outdoor or indoor.

• 4. Minimum slaughtering age

Required minimum slaughtering age is 81 day, which twice as much as it usual in the industrial products. Allow the animals to move freely and longer life are both essential from the consumers’ point of view and considering animal welfare.

• 5. Permanent quality control

The rules in the Red Master program are supervised by an independent quality control organisation. Special label can be used just if the producers could keep these rules during the whole process. The products can be followed by a special identity number which is on the label.

Resources:

2002/3 Red Master a polcokon 58 p

2003/1 Red Master: túl az első éven 68-71 pp

Magyar Baromfi 2005., Magas minőségű, természetes élelmiszer 11-12 pp

2006/1 Továbbfejleszti kisvárdai gyárát a Master Good 64p