Scharrelkip

Scharrelkip is a Dutch marketing designation used for chicken meat from broilers that have had access to an outdoor area during part of their life. The term is used in the Netherlands and Belgium and is not legally defined in the same way as organic or free-range standards. It signals a welfare-oriented concept, but the exact conditions behind the label can vary by producer and retailer.

In practice, scharrelkip birds are raised indoors for part of their life and are given access to an outdoor area, often from several weeks old until slaughter. The outdoor space is typically fenced and may include vegetation or shelter, but the amount of time spent outside, the size of the outdoor area, and management practices differ among farms. The birds are usually fed with conventional poultry diets, and growth rates may be slower than those of conventional fast-growing broilers, depending on the farm’s program. Scharrelkip is generally contrasted with biologisch (organic) meat, which is subject to stricter rules on feed, antibiotics, and year-round outdoor access.

Labeling and regulation for scharrelkip are voluntary and not standardized across the EU. Producers and retailers may set their own criteria for what constitutes outdoor access, leading to variation in welfare claims. Critics argue that the term can be vague and that consumers should review specific farm practices or certifications to understand the actual welfare conditions.