Concern over animal welfare standards has led to a widespread switch to free range and barn eggs in recent years. Now attention is turning to chickens and other animals reared for meat. Liz Hamson reports
Appalling pictures of hens barely able to move in cramped living spaces - or chickens with hock burns caused by sitting in their own urine because they can no longer support their own weight - have become popular TV investigation fodder. The journalist inevitably points the finger of blame for the poor welfare conditions at producers, who in turn blame supermarkets and the drive for ever lower prices.
Of course, none of this has any effect on sales - in fact, rather the reverse: witness the sharp rise after the damning Channel 4 investigation, Dispatches (‘Baffling’ rise in chicken sales, The Grocer, September 3, p58). But are the multiples really as irresponsible as they’re made out to be? And do low prices invariably lead to poor animal welfare?
On October 12, the RSPCA launches its first ever Alternative Awards. It is inviting supermarkets to enter examples of animal welfare initiatives that are either contenders for best in class or for biggest improvement on existing methods.
David Bowles, head of external affairs at the RSPCA, says that the time has come to highlight the good work some such initiatives are doing. He points to the widespread switch to free range eggs over the past 10 years (see table right). The Co-operative Group is singled out for praise, having pledged to source 80% of its eggs from free-range farms by 2007 and grasped the need to improve labelling so that consumers understand exactly what they’re buying. Alice Clark, RSPCA scientific officer, says: “Their way of branding them has been exemplary: they’ve looked at labelling and made it clear. They’ve made it accessible.”
Like several other retailers, the Co-op has adopted the RSPCA’s Freedom Food label. The scheme, now 11 years old, tries to adopt a pragmatic approach to animal welfare. In other words, producers do not have to switch wholesale to free range production if they don’t want to, as it also recognises barn schemes that fulfil the welfare criteria in terms of stock density, feed and general treatment. Clark says: “Where people have made the move it’s a step in the right direction, especially given the fact that they are often making an investment to do it.”
After the success of the scheme with eggs, the RSPCA turned its attention to chicken 18 months ago. By the end of this year, 10 million to 12 million Freedom Food chickens will have been sold through supermarkets such as Somerfield, Sainsbury and the Co-op. Last week, a corn-fed Freedom Food chicken was due to be launched into Morrisons. The Co-op is planning a trial with standard chicken (only its free range chicken is currently Freedom Food-labelled). And Sainsbury has similar plans to launch a corn-fed chicken with Lloyd Maunder, following its success with the Devonshire White launched with the same producer two years ago.
Sainsbury’s integrity manager, brand policy, Sue Lockhart, reveals that it is currently revising its animal welfare policy with a view to increasing the volume of higher welfare products. “We’re looking at a lot of different options that could see us go 100% free range. But we’re still looking at the implications both in terms of costs for consumers and the effect on the supply base. Animal welfare is very important to us, but it’s difficult to say how far we can go. Does it give us a commercial advantage? We’d like to see it as a point of difference.”
Steven Tait, head of sales and marketing at Freedom Food, attests to the higher standards that are now being achieved. “What we’ve got now is a more joined up strategy to work with producers, retailers and consumers,” he says.
He acknowledges that some producers remain wary of the costs and the lower stock density entailed. However, he says, in the long term, it is often far more profitable than people think. “Those who adopt the standards find the animals have a lower mortality rate. And there is a price premium.”
In other words, higher welfare products can restore value to commoditised categories. Yet the cost differential on the shelf is not as extreme as consumers fear, he says - a Freedom Food chicken costs around 20p more than a standard chicken.
Not everyone actively endorses the label, however. Marks & Spencer and Waitrose argue that it could undermine their own brands and that they already have high welfare standards, although Waitrose does work with the RSPCA under the Freedom Food scheme. Tesco has dropped out of the scheme, stating similar reasons.
However, the scheme is growing in popularity - and not just with eggs and chicken. The RSPCA has now set standards for 10 species of animal and shoppers can even buy Freedom Food salmon at Harvey Nichols and Harrods.
It won’t stop there, says Bowles. But first, consumer attitudes need to change. Three months ago, Eurobaromoter published consumer research showing that the general public’s number one concern regarding animal welfare was how laying hens were reared and their second was how chicken for meat was reared. Bowles says: “Then there was a big dip to pigs and dairy - we need to improve consumer awareness.”
The new awards scheme, due to be launched during Farm Animal Week, should go some way towards that. More importantly, it will also demonstrate that the supermarkets are not always the baddies they seem to be when it comes to animal welfare.
Eggs: from battery to better
>>How supermarkets have changed their sourcing of eggs over the past 10 years
Ten years ago, fewer than 15% of eggs came from free range or barn-housed hens - the vast majority being from battery or caged systems. Today, 27% are from free range hens, 66% from caged hens and 7% from barn hens
Asda - As of May, reduced the number of battery cage eggs sold by half a million
Co-op - By 2007, is aiming to sell 80% free-range eggs, then will shift to 100% free-range this year
M&S - In 1997 was the first retailer to stop selling shell eggs from battery cages. In 2002, it switched to using free-range eggs in all its ready meals
Sainsbury - Replaced two million eggs per week from caged to barn eggs this year; to now source 70% of its eggs from non-caged hens. It has also reduced the proportion of caged eggs in processed foods
Tesco - Replaced all standard cage eggs with barn eggs; this year began using eggs from alternative systems in its Finest and own-label vegetarian range
Waitrose - Stopped selling caged hen eggs in 2001. This year began using free-range in all own-label foods
Appalling pictures of hens barely able to move in cramped living spaces - or chickens with hock burns caused by sitting in their own urine because they can no longer support their own weight - have become popular TV investigation fodder. The journalist inevitably points the finger of blame for the poor welfare conditions at producers, who in turn blame supermarkets and the drive for ever lower prices.
Of course, none of this has any effect on sales - in fact, rather the reverse: witness the sharp rise after the damning Channel 4 investigation, Dispatches (‘Baffling’ rise in chicken sales, The Grocer, September 3, p58). But are the multiples really as irresponsible as they’re made out to be? And do low prices invariably lead to poor animal welfare?
On October 12, the RSPCA launches its first ever Alternative Awards. It is inviting supermarkets to enter examples of animal welfare initiatives that are either contenders for best in class or for biggest improvement on existing methods.
David Bowles, head of external affairs at the RSPCA, says that the time has come to highlight the good work some such initiatives are doing. He points to the widespread switch to free range eggs over the past 10 years (see table right). The Co-operative Group is singled out for praise, having pledged to source 80% of its eggs from free-range farms by 2007 and grasped the need to improve labelling so that consumers understand exactly what they’re buying. Alice Clark, RSPCA scientific officer, says: “Their way of branding them has been exemplary: they’ve looked at labelling and made it clear. They’ve made it accessible.”
Like several other retailers, the Co-op has adopted the RSPCA’s Freedom Food label. The scheme, now 11 years old, tries to adopt a pragmatic approach to animal welfare. In other words, producers do not have to switch wholesale to free range production if they don’t want to, as it also recognises barn schemes that fulfil the welfare criteria in terms of stock density, feed and general treatment. Clark says: “Where people have made the move it’s a step in the right direction, especially given the fact that they are often making an investment to do it.”
After the success of the scheme with eggs, the RSPCA turned its attention to chicken 18 months ago. By the end of this year, 10 million to 12 million Freedom Food chickens will have been sold through supermarkets such as Somerfield, Sainsbury and the Co-op. Last week, a corn-fed Freedom Food chicken was due to be launched into Morrisons. The Co-op is planning a trial with standard chicken (only its free range chicken is currently Freedom Food-labelled). And Sainsbury has similar plans to launch a corn-fed chicken with Lloyd Maunder, following its success with the Devonshire White launched with the same producer two years ago.
Sainsbury’s integrity manager, brand policy, Sue Lockhart, reveals that it is currently revising its animal welfare policy with a view to increasing the volume of higher welfare products. “We’re looking at a lot of different options that could see us go 100% free range. But we’re still looking at the implications both in terms of costs for consumers and the effect on the supply base. Animal welfare is very important to us, but it’s difficult to say how far we can go. Does it give us a commercial advantage? We’d like to see it as a point of difference.”
Steven Tait, head of sales and marketing at Freedom Food, attests to the higher standards that are now being achieved. “What we’ve got now is a more joined up strategy to work with producers, retailers and consumers,” he says.
He acknowledges that some producers remain wary of the costs and the lower stock density entailed. However, he says, in the long term, it is often far more profitable than people think. “Those who adopt the standards find the animals have a lower mortality rate. And there is a price premium.”
In other words, higher welfare products can restore value to commoditised categories. Yet the cost differential on the shelf is not as extreme as consumers fear, he says - a Freedom Food chicken costs around 20p more than a standard chicken.
Not everyone actively endorses the label, however. Marks & Spencer and Waitrose argue that it could undermine their own brands and that they already have high welfare standards, although Waitrose does work with the RSPCA under the Freedom Food scheme. Tesco has dropped out of the scheme, stating similar reasons.
However, the scheme is growing in popularity - and not just with eggs and chicken. The RSPCA has now set standards for 10 species of animal and shoppers can even buy Freedom Food salmon at Harvey Nichols and Harrods.
It won’t stop there, says Bowles. But first, consumer attitudes need to change. Three months ago, Eurobaromoter published consumer research showing that the general public’s number one concern regarding animal welfare was how laying hens were reared and their second was how chicken for meat was reared. Bowles says: “Then there was a big dip to pigs and dairy - we need to improve consumer awareness.”
The new awards scheme, due to be launched during Farm Animal Week, should go some way towards that. More importantly, it will also demonstrate that the supermarkets are not always the baddies they seem to be when it comes to animal welfare.
Eggs: from battery to better
>>How supermarkets have changed their sourcing of eggs over the past 10 years
Ten years ago, fewer than 15% of eggs came from free range or barn-housed hens - the vast majority being from battery or caged systems. Today, 27% are from free range hens, 66% from caged hens and 7% from barn hens
Asda - As of May, reduced the number of battery cage eggs sold by half a million
Co-op - By 2007, is aiming to sell 80% free-range eggs, then will shift to 100% free-range this year
M&S - In 1997 was the first retailer to stop selling shell eggs from battery cages. In 2002, it switched to using free-range eggs in all its ready meals
Sainsbury - Replaced two million eggs per week from caged to barn eggs this year; to now source 70% of its eggs from non-caged hens. It has also reduced the proportion of caged eggs in processed foods
Tesco - Replaced all standard cage eggs with barn eggs; this year began using eggs from alternative systems in its Finest and own-label vegetarian range
Waitrose - Stopped selling caged hen eggs in 2001. This year began using free-range in all own-label foods
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