Born to be free

You marinate the chicken in your mother's secret marinade recipe which she passed on to you with loving reluctance, cook it as specified and serve it with the same joy your mother radiated when she saw her family relish every morsel of what she had put on the table. But alas, the chicken dish you made does not end up tasting like the one mum made. So you wonder if it is nostalgia that is misleading your taste buds or is something really amiss?

Perhaps the reason for this sharp decline in flavour is that conventional poultry available in the market today is reared in a way that minimises the cost of production.

It also perhaps minimises true and natural flavour. The average chicken is raised in confined quarters (roughly the size of an A4 sheet per bird) and the feed it is given plumps it up in a matter of 28 days, after which it is cut, dressed and processed. It is this speeded-up process that robs the poultry of its flavour and succulence. This makes organic produce all the more in demand. Stefan Mutter from Freiland Puten of Germany, a poultry farmer who supplies to Organic Cafe
in Dubai, understands this trend only too well.

Mutter speaks to Friday about what makes his poultry unique.

What is the true definition of organic?
According to the ever-expanding Wikipedia, organic foods are grown under certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilisers. If animals are involved, they must be reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth hormones and given organic feed as well. In most countries, organic produce may not be genetically modified.

Is free-range different from organic?
Yes. A major difference between the rearing of conventional and organic poultry is the stock-intensity. Organic poultry is free-range, meaning that the birds have room to move around. Our birds are quite happy to roam around on the grass or even in the snow in winter. Furthermore, these birds are genetically meant to roam around and should be exposed to sunshine and rain and are not meant to be confined in close quarters.

We at Freiland Puten ensure that we have only 21-kg life-weight of birds per square metre, as opposed to conventional chickens, the stock-intensity of which is a staggering 66-kg life-weight per square metre.

Because conventional chickens are raised in cramped, almost inhumane compartments, sickness spreads from one animal to another like wildfire. To prevent this, conventional chickens are routinely administered antibiotics. Organic chickens, on the other hand, are raised free-range and hence, seldom fall sick. If any of our birds suffers from a disease, the farmers will single it out and give it proper veterinary care and nurse it back to health. Antibiotics may sometimes be given to a particular animal, but usually our poultry is quite healthy. In fact 95 per cent of our animals never see a vet.

However, the birds are supplied herbal mixtures like apple and vinegar, and garlic compounds to keep them healthy. The farmers are influenced by homeopathic ideas and all herbal remedies are produced – you guessed
it – organically.

Health concerns

However, organic poultry does not necessarily mean healthier food. Mutter notes that a chemical analysis of conventional and organic chicken found that the two types have no nutritional difference whatsoever. But what is noteworthy is the fact that conventional chicken can have certain amounts of residue in its flesh. "The pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics and fertilisers used in producing the feed of conventional animals are then stored as toxins in the fat of the animals. Organic chicken, on the other hand, is fed 100 per cent organic feed, which ensures that its meat is completely free of chemical residue.

"Also, organic chickens are raised
in an environment-friendly manner. Hence, the carbon footprint is significantly reduced," says Mutter.
At Freiland Puten Farms in Germany, the poultry is given organic, vegetarian feed. Traditionally, turkeys and chickens are not herbivores but due to the break-out of mad cow disease, German authorities banned the use of animal protein in the rearing of poultry. So in 2001, Mutter says, the feed at the farms was switched to 100 per cent vegetarian and is made up of soy protein and maize, as per German regulations.

Another matter of concern is the issue of hormones. Mutter explains that the use of hormones to speed up rearing of either conventional or organic poultry is extremely harmful and has been banned not only in Germany, but across all Europe and America too.

The difference in flavour

Mutter believes that the main reason for the enhanced flavour of organic chicken is that the poultry is given time to mature. "On an average, our turkeys and chickens have double the lifespan of a conventional bird. They gradually mature and that is the reason why the taste and quality are so much better. Moreover, a conventional chicken breast will shrink while frying due to the fact that it has been fattened up far too quickly with water. Not so with organic poultry. Our meat will not shrink on frying or cooking and will be much juicier when eaten."

Why organic means expensive

Organic feed costs almost double that which conventional chickens are fed; hence it is naturally more expensive. The feed-conversion (quantity of feed required to produce meat) is quite high as the birds live much longer than conventional ones. Apart from that, the stock-intensity is much lower, meaning fewer animals are reared on a given area of land and that increases the cost.

The other factors that increase the cost are: production is done on a smaller scale since only a niche market is catered to. This means all other costs including transportation,
storage, etc, are much higher than conventional production.
Extreme care is taken to ensure that the animals are happy and healthy and they are never de-beaked.

Respecting religious laws

After extensive auditing and even some alterations to the procedure, Mutter reveals that all poultry from their farms is considered halal, and is audited every two years by Prof Dr Mohammad Hawari from the Islamic Centre in Aachen, Germany.

Storage and cooking

The shelf-life and storage of an organic chicken is the same as that of a conventional one. It may be stored for up to a year as long as the temperature is -180C. Mutter advises that organic chicken should be given ample time to cook and tenderise. It should be cooked at lower temperatures for longer periods of time as the meat is quite mature. The chicken breasts are larger than conventional ones and are slightly fatty as well, which makes them very suitable to barbecue.

Taking the initiative

For Stefan Mutter, organic farming is something that agrees with his ideals in life. "As a spiritual person, I have respect for all creation and my career in farming was always going to be in the organic sector. In addition, organic farming is environmentally friendly and that makes a great difference to me," he says.

Future plans

Exporting poultry to the UAE has been a very successful venture as awareness about organic food is rising. "Our products were cleared for use in the baby-food industry in the UAE, which means we have met stringent quality standards," says Mutter. Asked if Freiland Puten would think about farming in the UAE, Mutter responds, "We should probably think about having such facilities in the UAE, though there are no immediate plans."

– Mehmudah Rahman is a Dubai-based freelance writer

Next week: In the concluding feature on organic farming, an interview with an Austrian entrepreneur who works with farmers to produce organic cleaning products.