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RSPCA Assured
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RSPCA Assured
RSPCA Assured is a not-for-profit farm animal welfare assurance and food labelling scheme from the RSPCA. All farms on the RSPCA Assured scheme must comply with the RSPCA's "stringent higher welfare standards". RSPCA Assured assesses farms, hauliers and abattoirs and if they meet every standard, the RSPCA Assured label can be used on their food product. RSPCA Assured was founded in 1994 as Freedom Food, with the standards of welfare based on the Five Freedoms that were defined by the UK Government's Farm Animal Welfare Committee. In 2015, Freedom Food was rebranded as RSPCA Assured and claims that all animals under its scheme are raised to "higher farm animal welfare standards". In 2017, it was estimated that since its creation the RSPCA Assured scheme has raised 600 million animals under its welfare standards. Animal welfare historians have noted that the RSPCA Assured scheme has influenced other humane food certification programs operating worldwide.
In recent years, the RSPCA Assured scheme has received criticism from media coverage of animal cruelty that has taken place on RSPCA Assured farms.
In 1994, the RSPCA commissioned a survey of consumer attitudes to animal source food products in which 29% of respondents identified animal welfare as a factor influencing their purchase. In response to consumer concerns for welfare the RSPCA focused on improving the transportation of live farm animals. The RSPCA led a national advertising campaign which contained a picture of sheep in a dual-level transporter with the headline "Before they're roasted in garlic and rosemary, they're soaked in urine and excrement". The success of the campaign influenced the development of Freedom Food.
RSPCA Assured was established as Freedom Food in 1994, inspired by the Five Freedoms. The Freedom Food program was designed to allow farm animals "to enjoy a decent life, reflecting an existence as closely as possible to the ideal of the Five Freedoms". The program aimed to establish minimum welfare standards from the birth to death of farm animals. Livestock products meeting the welfare standards were eligible to be labelled "Freedom Food, RSPCA Monitored". Before a farmer, haulier or abattoir can join Freedom Food, an RSPCA approved accessor carries out an audit on the farm or premises to endure that the five freedoms are supported within the production or transportation system. Once enrolled, members of the scheme are subject to assessments to ensure the freedoms are being adhered to. Mandatory annual inspections and random spot checks by the RSPCA are utilized to ensure the welfare standards are being met.
In 1995, supermarkets Tesco and Co-op were selling pork products with the Freedom Food logo and by 1996 Tesco were selling beef, chicken, lamb, pork, veal and egg products endorsed with the Freedom Food symbol. The Freedom Food scheme influenced the formation of animal welfare certification programs such as British Columbia SPCA Certified and Certified Humane in the United States.
The RSPCA's criteria for the Freedom Food symbol on chickens included a ban on growth-promoting antibiotics in chicken feed, a ban on mutilation, at least 8 hours access to the outdoors for free-range birds, humane slaughter practices and stocking density of under 20 birds per square metre. The scheme does not guarantee animals are free-range but ensures that farmed animals have greater space indoors. The scheme states that "all hens must have sufficient freedom of movement to be able, without difficulty, to stand normally, turn around and stretch their wings" and "all hens must have sufficient space to able to perch or sit quietly without repeated disturbance". Members must keep a Veterinary Health Plan with a veterinary surgeon and keep detailed health records.
Freedom Food has been credited with increasing the popularity of free range and barn eggs in the UK. In 2007, 38.2% of total egg production in the UK came from non-cage systems compared to 15% in 1994. During this time the Freedom Food scheme included 150 million animals housed in approximately 1500 production units. By 2013, it was reported that 70% of salmon, 54% of ducks and 31% of pigs were raised under the scheme in the UK. Freedom Food had 2000 labelled product lines. In 2012, Freedom Food managed 98% of the free-range egg market in the UK.
In 2013, McDonald's UK switched to Freedom Food produced pork.
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RSPCA Assured
RSPCA Assured is a not-for-profit farm animal welfare assurance and food labelling scheme from the RSPCA. All farms on the RSPCA Assured scheme must comply with the RSPCA's "stringent higher welfare standards". RSPCA Assured assesses farms, hauliers and abattoirs and if they meet every standard, the RSPCA Assured label can be used on their food product. RSPCA Assured was founded in 1994 as Freedom Food, with the standards of welfare based on the Five Freedoms that were defined by the UK Government's Farm Animal Welfare Committee. In 2015, Freedom Food was rebranded as RSPCA Assured and claims that all animals under its scheme are raised to "higher farm animal welfare standards". In 2017, it was estimated that since its creation the RSPCA Assured scheme has raised 600 million animals under its welfare standards. Animal welfare historians have noted that the RSPCA Assured scheme has influenced other humane food certification programs operating worldwide.
In recent years, the RSPCA Assured scheme has received criticism from media coverage of animal cruelty that has taken place on RSPCA Assured farms.
In 1994, the RSPCA commissioned a survey of consumer attitudes to animal source food products in which 29% of respondents identified animal welfare as a factor influencing their purchase. In response to consumer concerns for welfare the RSPCA focused on improving the transportation of live farm animals. The RSPCA led a national advertising campaign which contained a picture of sheep in a dual-level transporter with the headline "Before they're roasted in garlic and rosemary, they're soaked in urine and excrement". The success of the campaign influenced the development of Freedom Food.
RSPCA Assured was established as Freedom Food in 1994, inspired by the Five Freedoms. The Freedom Food program was designed to allow farm animals "to enjoy a decent life, reflecting an existence as closely as possible to the ideal of the Five Freedoms". The program aimed to establish minimum welfare standards from the birth to death of farm animals. Livestock products meeting the welfare standards were eligible to be labelled "Freedom Food, RSPCA Monitored". Before a farmer, haulier or abattoir can join Freedom Food, an RSPCA approved accessor carries out an audit on the farm or premises to endure that the five freedoms are supported within the production or transportation system. Once enrolled, members of the scheme are subject to assessments to ensure the freedoms are being adhered to. Mandatory annual inspections and random spot checks by the RSPCA are utilized to ensure the welfare standards are being met.
In 1995, supermarkets Tesco and Co-op were selling pork products with the Freedom Food logo and by 1996 Tesco were selling beef, chicken, lamb, pork, veal and egg products endorsed with the Freedom Food symbol. The Freedom Food scheme influenced the formation of animal welfare certification programs such as British Columbia SPCA Certified and Certified Humane in the United States.
The RSPCA's criteria for the Freedom Food symbol on chickens included a ban on growth-promoting antibiotics in chicken feed, a ban on mutilation, at least 8 hours access to the outdoors for free-range birds, humane slaughter practices and stocking density of under 20 birds per square metre. The scheme does not guarantee animals are free-range but ensures that farmed animals have greater space indoors. The scheme states that "all hens must have sufficient freedom of movement to be able, without difficulty, to stand normally, turn around and stretch their wings" and "all hens must have sufficient space to able to perch or sit quietly without repeated disturbance". Members must keep a Veterinary Health Plan with a veterinary surgeon and keep detailed health records.
Freedom Food has been credited with increasing the popularity of free range and barn eggs in the UK. In 2007, 38.2% of total egg production in the UK came from non-cage systems compared to 15% in 1994. During this time the Freedom Food scheme included 150 million animals housed in approximately 1500 production units. By 2013, it was reported that 70% of salmon, 54% of ducks and 31% of pigs were raised under the scheme in the UK. Freedom Food had 2000 labelled product lines. In 2012, Freedom Food managed 98% of the free-range egg market in the UK.
In 2013, McDonald's UK switched to Freedom Food produced pork.