QR Code Deception, Disease, and Death: Farmer Focus Exposed by Whistleblower Allegations
You’re at the grocery store and scan a QR code hoping to find out which farm this chicken once lived on—but it’s reportedly all deception. With “humane” labels and a “traceability” claim that’s allegedly a gimmick, Farmer Focus tries to sell the idea that chickens on its contract farms live decent lives before being slaughtered. But a “shocked” whistleblower says what they saw is anything but humane.
5 Ways a Whistleblower Says Farmer Focus Betrays Its ‘Traceable’ and ‘Humane’ Claims
1. QR Codes and Farm IDs Are an Alleged Sham
Farmer Focus’ packages feature a QR code that claims to show buyers which farm the chicken came from. However, according to the whistleblower, the company “knowingly defraud[s]” customers by regularly putting the wrong farm ID on products. So, according to this industry insider, Farmer Focus is intentionally misleading shoppers trying to make informed decisions.
2. “Natural Light” Doesn’t Mean Happy Chickens
Farmer Focus boasts that chickens get at least eight hours of light each day, but the whistleblower said that the company’s lighting requirements were not being followed on its contract farms. The whistleblower also told PETA that Farmer Focus “knowingly” overstocked massive sheds with chickens.
3. Rampant Green Muscle Disease Suggests Deep Cruelty
The whistleblower claimed that some contract farmers deliberately startled birds, evidently for “exercise,” and that Farmer Focus is aware of this. According to the whistleblower, crowded conditions and frantic flapping cause “prevalent and acute” rates of deep pectoral myopathy or green muscle disease. Green muscle disease is a painful ailment that causes chickens’ muscles to break down and causes their breast tissue to become green.
4. You Don’t Even Know What Part of Her Body You’ll Get
Farmer Focus also reportedly consistently mislabeled products and has received numerous complaints from customers about mislabeling products, like chickens’ thighs in a package labeled breasts.
5. Farmer Focus’ Slaughterhouse Is a Horror Show
The QR codes don’t show the kill floor—but the whistleblower described a gruesome, painful process. Each week, workers reportedly slam around 600,000 stressed birds’ legs into shackles, hanging them upside down from a conveyor belt. Many reportedly pecked at their legs and feet to try to escape the shackles as the line carried them forward.
The conveyor belt brings the terrified chickens through horror-movie-esque stations, such as an electric stun bath, a machine-powered kill blade, and then a “head puller” device that decapitates them.
Many birds reportedly weren’t adequately stunned by the poorly maintained electric bath and continued to struggle, so they received non-deadly, painful wounds from the automatic kill blade. Backup workers also reportedly failed to cut their throats in a way that would quickly kill them, and some were alive and aware up until the moment their heads were ripped from their bodies.
Don’t Cause Chickens Harm—Go Vegan
Chickens are arguably the most abused animals on the planet. Every year, U.S. slaughterhouses kill more than 9 billion chickens. Many suffer through the long, terror-filled journeys and agonizing deaths like those described by the Farmer Focus whistleblower.
Instead of supporting the killing of billions of birds, you can enjoy chicken-free wings, nuggets, or a patty. There are loads of vegan chicken meals to try that will wow your taste buds without harming any chickens.
Every animal is someone. Chickens deserve so much better than the deceptive labels humane and welfare certifiers slap on the packaging of their broken bodies. Don’t trust the label—trust your values. Go vegan today.
