TOPIC (Testing of Products Initiated by Consumers) is a consumer-led organisation funded by consumers and retailers that are committed to transparency. We use laboratory testing, farm and factory visits and any other means necessary to verify that ingredients and label claims are accurate.
Top consumer nominated label claim
Elgin Free Range Chickens was the next top nominated product as chosen by consumers after TOPIC’s successful investigation into Nature’s Choice GMO-free label claims.
In mid-May 2019, the TOPIC SA team launched into its tenth investigation to verify whether Elgin Free Range Chickens was truly free range as the label claimed.
What is the definition of ‘free range’ in South Africa?
The term “free range” may conjure up images for the 
consumer of an animal living in wide open spaces able to roam freely about and eating natural foods but locally, the legal application of the term is rather limited.
The South African regulations for poultry meat are set out in R946/1992 by the Department Of Agriculture, Forestry And Fisheries (DAFF) and state the following:
These South African regulations do not specify any details about the “continuous daytime access” to outside which means that there are no industry guidelines and the rule has the potential to be abused.
We were also informed by Elgin Free Range Chickens and Red Barn Free Range Farms that no government department currently monitors or audits free range farming in South Africa. We emailed numerous DAFF departments asking if the above was true or if they could refer us to an inspector but we received no answers.
Elgin Free Range Chickens’ label claim
As of June 2019, DAFF has been disestablished and the agriculture function was incorporated into the new Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Currently the draft free range egg regulations have just closed for comment and it is anticipated that new regulations for free range meat will be drafted soon as well.
SA Poultry Association free range guidelines 
The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has developed its own guidelines for free range broiler stock but these are not enforced as they are a voluntary organisation. SAPA reported that they give input to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) which determines the international free range standards which would then be amended where required for local conditions such as the country’s climate etc.
Engaging with Elgin Free Range Chickens (Elgin)
TOPIC’s initial letter was sent to the company on 14 May 2019 and the Managing Director, Linka Cameron, responded the next day. She said: “We would love to assist you with your investigation as well as the supporting documentation and farm visit that you need to verify the claims that we make on our label.”
Details about Elgin’s farms 
Elgin Free Range Chickens was founded by Jeanne Groenewald and has been operating since 1997. They have an average of 768,000 chickens at any one time spread over their seven farms which are located in the Overberg area in the Western Cape.
Elgin has their own abattoir in Grabouw where they slaughter 130,000 chickens per week.
South Africa’s chicken industry
2018 statistics provided to Business Insider show that chicken is South Africa’s most consumed animal protein and the industry slaughters about 19-million chickens a week to feed the country’s needs. Once chicken imports are included, South Africans consume a total of about 28-million chickens a week. Free range chicken farming on the scale that Elgin is operating provides for a much smaller niche of the overall market.
TOPIC’s farm visit to inspect the chickens
Two of our TOPIC SA team members visited one of the Elgin Free Range Chickens’ farms in Caledon on the 3rd of June. We had requested that an inspector from DAFF accompany us on this farm visit but they did not respond.
We had to observe strict biosecurity protocols so as not to bring any potential diseases onto the farm which could create a need for the farm to administer medication (antibiotics) to the birds.
Upon arrival the wheels of the car and the underside were sprayed with disinfectant and we were instructed to shower and change into overalls and boots before we could go see the chickens.
The MD, Mrs. Cameron, and Farm Manager, Freddie Putter, showed us around the farm which had four chicken sheds on it.
Elgin reported that they purchase the broiler chicks when they are a day old and they are immediately placed in their chicken sheds. The shed we observed was 15m wide by 135m long and housed 32,000 birds (see pictures below). This shed had a total of 45 popholes spaced 3m apart on both sides for the chickens to access the outside area. The popholes are 3m wide by 0.75m high and were open. Elgin told us that they are then closed again at night and in bad weather. As our visit was in winter, it was a cold day and despite the popholes being open, most of the 14 day old birds were huddled inside together for warmth.
The atmosphere of the chicken sheds is not controlled and the birds breathe normal fresh air, only the indoor temperature is regulated. The sheds are kept cool during the hot summer months by these popholes, roof misting systems and fans. In winter, Elgin utilises gas heaters to keep the birds warm. We were informed that they switch off the lights at night for eight consecutive hours to allow the birds to rest.
This shed had a size-matching 15m wide by 135m long outside area that was covered in shade cloth to offer the chickens protection from predators and wild birds. This is Elgin’s new design idea that they are starting to implement and told us they will be rolling out for all their sheds in the future. On the other side of the shed, the popholes opened onto another free range area which was uncovered and allowed the birds to range even further.
We observed the following:
- The birds appeared healthy and had sufficient access to water and food.
- The birds had multiple wide access points to the outside area.
- The outside area had indigenous trees and grass.
- The birds would have enough space outside to run and exhibit natural behaviour.
- The birds had enough space inside and were not too overcrowded.
- The shed was warm (but not hot) on that cold weather day.
Mrs. Cameron invited us back for a second farm visit if time allowed so that we could observe the birds enjoying the outside grass area on a sunny day, however it was not possible for us to schedule another visit to Caledon again during warmer weather.
Elgin Free Range Chickens protocols
Elgin Free Range Chickens supplies many retailers under their own brand name, as well as stocks eleven factory shops located in the Western Cape and Garden Route.
Examples of Elgin’s products available in stores
The company also supplies Woolworths. The retailer, Elgin Free Range Chickens and Food Animal Initiative (FAI) work closely on animal welfare issues.
Due to the minimal free range regulations in South Africa, Elgin has drafted their own standards which seem to be based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare under human control.
Mrs. Cameron said the following:
“As discussed, unfortunately we cannot help you with a certificate stating our free range status, as there is no governmental body that can monitor and audit free range farming in South Africa and that can certify an abattoir, farm or business as being free range. Knowing this we are committed to go the extra mile to prove to consumers that we do truly practice free range farming on our farms.
“Our farms follow ‘The Elgin Free Range Chickens Code of Practice’ that was developed to ensure that all suppliers of free range broilers to us meet the highest possible standards of free range broiler production and animal welfare as set out by international, national and provincial legislation and guidelines. This Code of Practice is based on basic freedoms that have been identified in the set scope which addresses the following criteria for the confinement of broilers:
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from abnormal discomfort
- freedom from pain, injury or disease
- freedom to express natural behavior
- freedom of fear and distress
- freedom to roam outdoors within an enclosed space.”
Regular farm inspections and auditing
All seven of the farms that are raising chickens for Elgin Free Range Chickens are audited by an independent company, which is a Woolworths initiative, and is conducted on a bi-annual and unannounced basis. Elgin Free Range Chickens also conducts internal audits by certified auditors as part of supplier control to the ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management system and regular unannounced farm visits are conducted by the Agricultural Manager, the MD and CEO of the Elgin Free Range Chickens, and the group’s veterinarian.
What do Elgin chickens eat?
We were told that chicken feed is supplied to Elgin’s broiler farms by approved and certified ISO 22000:2005 feed companies. The feed is a nutritional grain-based feed mainly made up of maize, soya, sunflower cake and added minerals.
Elgin Free Range Chickens pledges that their feed is free from antibiotics, animal by-products, fish meal, growth promoters, pesticides, melamine and arsenic derivatives.
To confirm this Elgin carries out tests with independent SANAS accredited and DAFF registered laboratories.
Elgin shared their recent test results with us which confirmed that their round of tests from June 2019 showed either below detection levels (for melamine, salmonella, animal by-products) or that the results were in line with maximum permissible levels as per regulations (pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins).
In terms of frequency, Elgin stated the following:
● Chicken liver is tested for Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGP’s) with each slaughter batch.
● The feed is tested from each farm bi-annually for melamine, salmonella species and animal by-products.
● The feed and chicken products are tested annually for heavy metals such as chromium, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, and for mycotoxins and pesticides.
The tests results shared with us showed the following:
Antimicrobial substances such as AGP’s were not detected in Elgin’s chicken livers
Melamine was not detected in Elgin’s animal feed
Salmonella was not detected in Elgin’s animal feed
No animal by-products were detected in Elgin’s animal feed
Chicken livers and feed heavy metal results were in line with Regulations Relating to Maximum Levels of Metals in Foodstuffs NO. 588.
The mycotoxin Aflatoxin was either not detected or below the limit of quantification in Elgin’s chicken feed.
The mycotoxin Ochratoxin was not detected in Elgin’s chicken feed.
According to Elgin, all pesticide residues obtained are below levels obtained from general literature data Ref: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/pestres/data/commodities/details.html?id=80
What about antibiotic use?
According to Elgin Free Range Chickens, their birds are vaccinated thus preventing them from having to routinely medicate with antibiotics.
Mrs. Cameron said the following:
“Over half the antibiotics fed to commercially raised chickens are identical to 
the ones administered to humans. Overuse of these antibiotics can lead to strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, opening the doors wide for superbugs to flourish. In the event of the rare occurrence of disease, medication is administered under strict supervision by our consulting veterinarian to prevent any suffering amongst diseased birds. We do however adhere to a withdrawal period that is double the recommended period, thus ensuring no antibiotic residue in the meat.
“Elgin Free Range Chickens has not administered a single dose of any form of medication for the past three years.
“Monthly visits to our farms are carried out by specialised poultry vets. During these visits, various aspects of general flock health are monitored. These include conducting post mortems and monitoring the water intake of the birds – a key indicator of flock health. Historically, poultry veterinarians have made use of antibiotics to treat disease. Today, our vets work together with our growers and are engaged in constant efforts to improve farming practices as a means of promoting flock health without the need for administering antibiotics.”
Does Elgin Free Range Chickens use growth hormones?
Elgin states that they don’t use any Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGP’s) on their birds. Mrs. Cameron says: “Our birds are vaccinated, allowing them not only to fight these bacteria naturally and develop healthier immune systems, but also to mature at their natural growth rate, as nature intended.”
Factory farmed chickens are routinely administered Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGP’s) to control intestinal microbes. These antibiotics treat bacteria but also overstimulate the natural growth rate of the birds, resulting in diverse serious health issues.
Elgin’s abattoir
All Elgin Free Range Chickens are slaughtered at one site registered as Elgin Poultry Abattoir Registration Certificate No HT A7 003P.
What happens to the chicken waste?
Elgin stated that they have documented and approved Environmental Impact Assessments and reports for their chicken farms and production processes and all waste is managed responsibly and sustainably with minimal to zero impact on the environment (soil, air, water). They say that no farm waste goes to the landfill and the chicken manure in the sheds at the end of the cycle is used for composting.
What are the differences between a broiler chicken that is intensively farmed, free range or pasture reared?
The consumer may be confused as to the actual differences between these three different chicken farming methods, so we have outlined what we have discovered in the table below.
The information was sourced from Elgin Free Range Chickens, Farmer Angus, Red Barn Free Range Farms and SAPA’s 2018 Code of Practice. We tried to get confirmation of the ‘chicken broiler in barn system’ facts from Rainbow Chickens and County Fair but we received no feedback.
Brooding period
As the table illustrates, pasture raised chickens are only relocated to their mobile sheds on day 22. This is because baby chicks need high temperatures for the first week and then, gradually the temperature is reduced until the birds are fully feathered and can go outside at the end of week three. They are kept in a brooder house during this period. Red Barn Free Range Farms sent us a photo of their young chicks in the brooder house.
Mrs. Cameron says the following about this period:
“We have a short brooding period when baby chicks are kept indoors and heaters are used to keep the sheds and the baby chicks warm and safe. This brooding period is typically also the same period that a chick will be protected by under its mother’s wing in nature.
“In summer, we start opening the sheds on both sides of the sheds from 7 days old. In winter, from 10 days old.”
Intensively farmed, free range or pasture reared chicken farming/production in photos
Free range chickens have access to outside from the sheds and can express natural behaviour. Routine antibiotics and growth promoters are not utilised. The birds experience natural day/night cycles and the shed environment is not artificially controlled.
Criticisms of free range broiler chicken farming
There is some criticism of free range broiler chicken farming that have been voiced by others in the industry such as due to the scale of the operation, it may be possible that some chickens on the far side of the shed may never venture out and that it would be an impossible feat to monitor the movements of thousands of birds daily and ensure they are free ranging outside daily.
Mrs. Cameron’s response:
“All birds will be ranging outside in summer and for longer periods at a time than in winter. In summer, it might also happen that birds sleep outside. In summer they all go out for longer and more frequent periods and from a younger age. While it is impossible to monitor the movement of each and every bird and to check and prove that each and every bird has been outside, they all have access to the outdoors (even those on the far side of shed) and sheds are opened for them to be exposed to the natural environment (sunlight, fresh air, etc).
“Our aim is to work with nature, not against it, so as to produce the healthiest and tastiest birds possible. The practice of farming free-range chicken in an authentic manner creates a win-win situation where all elements involved benefit: the chicken, the environment and the consumer.
We do not have environmentally controlled houses like commercial operations, and therefore need to adjust our management of the birds with the environment and seasons, as naturally as possible and with the comfort of the birds and animal welfare as our top priority. If it is freezing outside and safer and more comfortable for the birds inside the shed, we will not chase them out as this would be inhumane.
“Free Range is more than birds roaming outside on grass ranges, if forms part of an intricate philosophy of higher animal welfare that requires an all-inclusive approach to address the importance of health (biological), affective state (psychological), and natural living (behavioural). All three of these animal welfare pillars have to be achieved in harmony and must form the foundation when farming with animals.”
Consumer questions related to Elgin’s factory shops
Some consumers have queried the quality of Elgins Free Range Chickens at their factory shops, enquiring about whether the same quality standards are adhered to for these products.
Mrs. Cameron responded with the following:
“The products sold in the factory stores are the same product that are supplied to all of our customers. We do not differentiate products for different customers on quality or free range.”
CEO and Executive Director, Jeanne Groenewald, had the following to add:
“I pride myself in the fact that I have managed to upscale the business from 100 chickens a week to 130,000 a week without compromising on any morals, ethics, animal welfare or growing standards. So often when companies get bigger they end up chasing financial ratios and performance efficiencies and end up compromising on so many of the reasons they started. We are recognised internationally as being the leaders in free range and animal welfare.”
Comment from industry stakeholders
“The label ‘free-range’ has become a vague and inconsistent term that has totally lost credibility,” says Red Barn Free Range Farms founder, Lindy Gordon-Brown. “This is due to the fact that there is no official legislation or monitoring of free-range or grass-fed claims and labelling in South Africa. I have always thought that this is because DAFF does simply not have the manpower to police the regulations. My idea would be to involve animal welfare societies, who desperately need funds and have the skills to enforce and monitor free-range and grass-fed claims.
“It is always best to visit and buy from local farms that are transparent about how they raise their animals, if you are lucky enough to have one near you. Consumers can then decide if the standards are good enough for them or not,” says Gordon-Brown.
Conclusion
Elgin Free Range Chickens states on their website that “free range is a lifestyle and not a label” and it seems that the term “free range” as it is applied by Elgin appears to be compliant with South African legislation. Their internal free range production processes that they stipulate would also appear to offer various positive implications for the bird during its lifespan.
What we observed in the one chicken shed that we visited during the Caledon farm visit was that the birds were not overcrowded or in an artificial controlled atmosphere. They had continuous daytime access to a green and shaded outside area where they could scratch, dust bathe and forage for worms and insects. Elgin states that their chickens grow naturally without being fed animal growth promoters, and their free range protocols are held up as a benchmark internationally for animal welfare standards.
A positive factor for the South African public consuming the meat is that Elgin reports that they don’t use animal growth promoters and routine antibiotics which is backed up by their testing. We have also found Elgin’s cooperation and transparency with us has been excellent throughout our interactions with them.
Research has shown that consumers purchase free range products for numerous reasons such as better taste, quality and animal welfare concerns, and research also tends to show that public knowledge of poultry production systems is limited. We hope that this report not only provides information about Elgin Free Range Chickens’ practices but also gives some insight into the definitions and production processes related to intensive or conventional, free range and pasture reared broiler chicken farming.
TOPIC works with retailers and producers who are committed to transparency and we are supported by Faithful to Nature, Wellness Warehouse, Organic Zone, Jackson’s Real Food Market, Bryanston Organic & Natural Market, Organic Emporium and Earthshine.
We have completed numerous successful investigations so far, including Nature’s Choice GMO-free claims, Woolworth’s organic vegetables, Cape Town Market, Mrs BreadCare, Wakaberry, Le Chocolatier, Freedom Bakery, Frys and Futurelife.
Consumers are encouraged to nominate products for investigation via our online form: https://buff.ly/2PCSBK8
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter or contact the TOPIC SA team via email.
Hi I was wondering if the food given to the chickens are GMO free.
As most maize wheat and soya products contain HMO’s.
Your response will be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards.