Butchers report chicken meat sales drop amid bird flu anxiety

Butchers in Perth are observing a significant downturn in chicken meat sales, with some reporting drops of up to 60%, which they attribute to public apprehension surrounding bird flu. Tom Randolph, a butcher in Mt Hawthorn, noted a 20-25% decrease in his typically stable chicken sales over the past five to six weeks. Randolph expressed concern over the decline, stating, "Chicken has been one of the most reliable and stable product lines that we have." He has resorted to discarding unsold product, a situation echoed by other butchers in Perth. John Nazary of Wattle Grove Butcher reported a 60% plummet in chicken sales in the last three weeks, leading him to reduce his ordering frequency. Despite these sales trends, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has reiterated that consuming cooked chicken and eggs remains safe. FSANZ stated in July that there is "no evidence of bird flu infection in Australian poultry or the wider agriculture industry." They emphasize that avian influenza does not transmit to humans through food and that proper cooking, storage, preparation, and personal hygiene are sufficient to mitigate any risks. Meanwhile, the Western Australia Poultry Association reports a surge in interest for backyard chickens. President Reece Jerrett suggests this is likely due to public anticipation of potential egg shortages should the H5N1 strain affect the commercial poultry sector. Similar spikes in interest for backyard poultry were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous bird flu outbreaks in other Australian states.

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Chicken has been one of the most reliable and stable product lines that we have.