Netflix Documentary Puts Fried Chicken Industry Under Scrutiny in 28-Day Diet Experiment

In a new Netflix documentary titled Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, British comedian Mo Gilligan embarks on a 28-day fried chicken diet as a means to explore factory farming, animal welfare, and the economics of the fast-food chicken industry. The documentary, which draws comparisons to Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me, follows Gilligan as he eats fried chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner across the UK and in the United States, experiencing adverse effects like weight gain, mood swings, and uncontrollable sweating.

The film delves into the global scale of the fast-food chicken industry, revealing staggering figures such as 78 billion chickens slaughtered annually and over £12 million spent daily on fried chicken in the UK. Gilligan meets with experts, attempts to hold industry leaders accountable, and accompanies activists on a late-night visit to a factory farm. However, the National Farmers’ Union has quickly responded to the documentary, defending the sector and stating that British poultry production operates under high animal welfare standards, contrasting it with American systems highlighted in the film. Welfare groups contest this defense, citing issues such as the use of fast-growing breeds leading to health problems in chickens.