RCL Foods denies that government cap will result in more expensive chicken

Scott Pitman, MD of the consumer division of RCL Foods, which produces and markets Rainbow, Farmer Brown and Simply Chicken brands, said that this is completely untrue and RCL Foods would like to clarify for South Africans that this is a myth that is being fostered by some stakeholders that are against the new cap.

Pitman used an example to explain. Currently a 2kg packet of frozen chicken portions costs consumers R39.99. There are about 10 pieces of chicken in each packet. If the brine percentage is capped at 15%, the amount of brine in each packet will come down from an average 30% to 15%. The same 10 pieces of chicken will still be in the packet, but the packet will now weigh 1.65kg because there will be less brine, and the new 1.65kg packet will cost the same R39.99, for the same 10 pieces - it is that simple.

The deception of the per-kilogramme price

RCL Foods said that stakeholders who are saying that chicken will become more expensive are relying on the deception of the per-kilogramme price getting more expensive. This is simply because you will get more real chicken pieces per kilogramme as more than half of the brine is out.

RCL Foods has always campaigned for a cap on injection because it believes that South African levels of brine in frozen portions of chicken are unsupported by science, and excessive injection levels by the larger manufacturers have compromised the integrity of South African chicken and the industry. South African consumers need to know they’re getting only the brine necessary for succulence and no more.