FAQ's
Your common questions, answered.
Tegel does not and never has used growth hormones in the growing of our chickens and turkeys. The use of hormones in farming is an illegal practice in New Zealand, a law which has stood since the 1960s.
All Tegel’s chickens and turkeys are 100% bred, hatched and raised in New Zealand and we have locations in Christchurch, New Plymouth and Auckland.
All of our chickens are either raised in barns or are free range. No Tegel chickens are kept in cages. All Tegel farms are SPCA Certified and independently audited to ensure our systems meet the needs of our chickens and support the promotion of positive experiences. Click here for more information.
At Tegel we’re committed to helping Kiwis make healthier food choices. That’s why we put nutrition information, ingredients listings, allergens and the Health Star Rating (HSR) on all our packs. This way you can make the best decisions around feeding you and your family.
Yes, some of our crumbed, filled and marinated products will contain allergens. We recommend you read the label carefully to avoid any allergens you and your family may have.
At Tegel we’re committed to helping Kiwis make healthier food choices. That’s why we put the Health Star Rating (HSR) on all our packs. The Health Star Rating is an independent, nutritional rating developed as part of a government-led initiative. Under this system, the more stars a food has, the better its nutritional value. For more information click here.
Yes, Tegel also raises free range chickens and turkeys. Brought up in large, open barns for the first few weeks of their life. Once fully feathered, they venture outside where they are free to roam, shelter under trees, forage, and peck amongst natural vegetation. Even when inside, our poultry is never kept in cages. All of our free range farms meet or exceed New Zealand Animal Welfare standards, and are part of a programme that can be independently audited at any time to ensure these standards are consistently met.
Tegel chickens sometimes receive small amounts of "non-human" antibiotics to keep them healthy. We ensure that any poultry that receives medicine is then subject to a withdrawal period to ensure they are free from any residual medicine. Tegel only uses antibiotics that are registered under the Animal Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act and they are only ever used under veterinary supervision.
Our chickens and turkeys are fed a balanced diet of grains, corn, vitamins and minerals that are specially formulated by our nutritionists. They get everything they need to make sure they grow healthy and strong.
The raising of chickens and turkeys is the most important thing for us at Tegel. Here in New Zealand, we have world-class conditions for breeding, hatching and raising poultry. Strict biosecurity laws continue to keep New Zealand free of serious poultry diseases present overseas. We also have nutritionists and veterinarians who look after bird health and birds’ specially formulated diets. Tegel’s farming practices always adhere to the “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare; Freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behaviour, freedom from fear and distress. Our farms are independently audited to ensure they meet the requirements of the New Zealand Animal Code of Welfare.
Chicken and turkey provide you and your family with excellent nutrients as it is high in protein, iron, zinc and selenium. Skinless chicken and turkey breasts are the leanest meats.
Always read the cooking instructions on pack when preparing your chicken or turkey. We have many food safety and cooking tips and tricks that can help you when preparing your chicken and turkey. These tips include defrosting, preparation and how to cook your products perfectly. Click here to go to our tips and tricks page.
You can find out more about our breeds by visiting the Golden Coast Commercial website. Golden Coast Commercial is a trading division of Tegel Foods Ltd, responsible for the sale of day-old layer and meat chicks to external customers.
Yes all Tegel products are halal. Tegel is audited and approved by Halal Conformity Services Limited, an approved Halal Organisation.
Yes, and you'll find this change across the chicken industry. All that’s happening is instead of size, chickens will be grouped by weight range and labelled with the minimum weight. For example, a size 16 chicken that weighs between 1.5 and 1.7kg will be labelled as 1.5kg chicken.
That’s the only change – you’ll still be able to buy the same amount of New Zealand’s favourite chicken.
|
Old Size |
New Min. |
Old Size |
New Min. |
|
|
Size 10 |
0.95 kg |
Size 22 |
2.1 kg |
|
|
Size 11 |
1.05 kg |
Size 24 |
2.3 kg |
|
|
Size 12 |
1.15 kg |
Size 26 |
2.5 kg |
|
|
Size 13 |
1.25 kg |
Size 28 |
2.7 kg |
|
|
Size 14 |
1.35 kg |
Size 30 |
2.9 kg |
|
|
Size 16 |
1.5 kg |
Size 32 |
3.1 kg |
|
|
Size 18 |
1.7 kg |
Size 34 |
3.3 kg |
|
|
Size 20 |
1.9 kg |
All of our chicken and turkey is 100% bred and grown in New Zealand. We do export our products to some countries. Visit our Tegel international website to find out more.
Tegel exports to a number of countries around the world. Please see our Tegel international website to find out if we have retailers, wholesalers or distributors in the country you are in.
New Zealand is free from all major avian flu viruses. This means we have a world-class environment to raise our cage free and free range chickens and turkeys.
Tegel chickens and turkeys, like all poultry grown in New Zealand, are not genetically modified at all.
You can find all you need to know on our careers website.
Tegel has responded to the growing demand for ethical food choices from consumers. We’re committed to raising animal welfare standards and offering products that align with consumer values, promoting sustainability and ethical farming practices.
When we say free range, we mean that our chickens have access to the outdoors during daylight hours. They can engage in natural behaviours like foraging and dust bathing, contributing to their overall wellbeing.
We're making significant progress towards transitioning all Tegel branded products to Free Range. By the end of 2025, all retail packaged products will be Free Range, with fresh and frozen value-added, and chilled ranges transitioning by the end of 2024. By November this year, 90% of Tegel branded retail products will be free range.
All Tegel farms are SPCA Certified. This means that they are independently audited to ensure our free range systems meet the needs of our chickens, and support the promotion of positive experiences. SPCA Certified animal welfare standards raise the bar of welfare for New Zealand’s animals in farming spaces.
All Tegel branded retail packaged products will be Free Range. However, products sold through other channels like hospitality, quick service restaurants, and export will continue to use a mix of barn-raised and free range chicken.
We understand your concern. Tegel is committed to offering more affordable Free Range chicken. However, there will always be barn-raised options available from other brands for those seeking more budget-friendly choices.
Tegel has free range farms located throughout the North and South Island of New Zealand.
GET IN TOUCH
You can submit your comments online using the form below.
Contact Details
Tegel Foods Head Office:
Address:
Tegel Foods Ltd,
Level 1, 33 Broadway,
Newmarket, Auckland.
Private Bag 99927,
Newmarket, Auckland, 1149,
New Zealand
Phone:
0800 4 TEGEL (83435)
Email:
feedback@tegel.co.nz
To place an order:
Phone:
0800 730 850
Fax:
0800 105 001
For product feedback:
Phone:
0800 CHICKEN (2442536)
For Media:
NB: This address is for use by members of the media only. Any product feedback should go to feedback@tegel.co.nz
Tegel International:
please visit
Tegel International
for more information
Golden Coast Commercial:
From Overseas:
+64 (6) 769 8761
Please visit Golden Coast Commercial for more information
Got a concern about a Tegel product?
Please get in touch on 0800 CHICKEN (0800 244 2536) or use the online form above to get in touch with our consumer advocate.
Alternatively, you can also wash and send the product packaging to our head office at Tegel Foods Ltd, Level 1, 33 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland 1023. Our consumer advocate will then be in touch to address your concerns as soon as possible.