SUPERMARKETS & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE

Transcription

1 Compassion in World Farming Trust SUPERMARKETS & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE RAISING THE STANDARD Compassion in World Farming Trust Supermarket Survey

2 SUPERMARKETS & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE RAISING THE STANDARD Supermarket Survey of Farm Animal Welfare Standards Conducted by Compassion In World Farming Trust (CIWF Trust) Compiled by Heather Pickett and Kerry Burgess Published by Compassion in World Farming Trust 5a Charles Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3EH, UK Compassion in World Farming Trust 2004 ISBN Compassion in World Farming Trust is an educational charity dedicated to advancing farm animal welfare. Registered Charity number, , a company limited by guarantee, Registered Number one

3 CONTENTS Introduction 4 Summary and Conclusions 6 Survey Results: 10 Supermarket Sales of Own Label and Farm Assured Livestock Products 11 Section 1: Supermarket Policy and Investment in Animal Welfare 12 Section 2: The Welfare of Broiler Chickens 14 Section 3: The Welfare of Laying Hens 15 Section 4: The Welfare of Turkeys and Ducks 17 Section 5: The Welfare of Pigs 18 Section 6: The Welfare of Cattle 21 Section 7: Exotic/Luxury Animal Products and the Welfare of Other Farmed Animals 24 Section 8: Livestock Markets, Transport and Slaughter 26 Section 9: The Welfare of Farmed Fish 29 Antibiotics in Livestock Production 32 Supermarket Sales of Alternatives to Intensively Farmed Animal Products 33 The Ideal Welfare-Friendly Supermarket of the Future 36 Compassionate Supermarket of the Year CIWF Trust Recommendations for Progress 41 two

4 SUPERMARKETS & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE - RAISING THE STANDARD CIWF TRUST SURVEY OF SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON ANIMAL WELFARE 2003 The welfare of farm animals is recognised as an important public and political issue in the UK and Europe. The past decade has seen some welcome legislation introduced to counter some of the worst excesses of factory farming. Narrow veal crates for calves and sow stalls for pregnant pigs have both been banned in the UK. Yet the vast majority of farm animals are still kept indoors in highly intensive systems. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way in which farm animals are treated. With most of the nation s food shopping now taking place in supermarkets, the multiple retailers have become the main link between the farm and the food we put into our shopping baskets. Compassion In World Farming Trust (CIWF Trust) has carried out this survey of supermarket standards and performance on farm animal welfare in order to raise those standards and to inform consumers about how their food is produced. Supermarkets have enormous influence over the animal welfare standards adopted in the production of the meat, milk and eggs they sell. Their dominant force in the UK retail sector and consequent buying power means that supermarkets have the ability to impose tight requirements on how food is produced. They also have tremendous scope for promoting one product over another using mechanisms such as price promotions, in-store product positioning, labelling, and publicity or customer information campaigns. The first CIWF Trust Raising the Standard survey was conducted in 2001 and sought to benchmark the UK s leading supermarkets on farm animal welfare standards. This was achieved by issuing a questionnaire on key areas of animal welfare to the ten biggest UK supermarkets. This repeated survey in 2003 incorporates an expanded range of questions and is part of an ongoing project that aims to track progress and commitment to these standards in order to improve the lives of farm animals. It also highlights the need for greater attention to welfare standards as part of each company s corporate responsibility for social issues. Grateful thanks are extended to each company for its help and co-operation: ASDA, The Co-operative Group (Co-op), Marks & Spencer (M&S), Safeway, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose and Wm Morrison s Stores (Morrison). Iceland Foods and Sainsbury s declined the opportunity to participate in this year s survey. CIWF Trust s Raising the Standard initiative supports supermarket best practice on farm animal welfare and consumer choice by: Tracking and benchmarking supermarket commitment and progress on key areas of animal welfare concern, thereby providing a comparative set of data to inform future retail strategy on farm animal welfare standards. Rewarding progress and best practice on animal welfare by ensuring public recognition for improvements made and strides taken, something that has all too often gone unnoticed in the past. three

5 Highlighting areas where animal welfare standards need improvement. Informing consumers about the welfare standards employed by the supermarket at which they shop. Seeking to re-establish ethical standards of farm animal welfare as an alternative to price-based competition whereby companies vie to see who can sell food for the lowest price. In short, this Raising the Standard supermarket survey is an integral part of our campaign for more humane food and farming. four

6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Although the 2003 Raising the Standard survey has revealed a welcome trend towards free range eggs, it has also identified areas that need further progress from the UK s major supermarkets. Progress is urgently needed to raise welfare standards for the indoor-farming of pigs, the rearing of chickens for poultry meat where the great majority are intensively farmed, and for farmed fish. Maximum transport times for poultry travelling to slaughter need to be reduced further by most companies. The Welfare of Broiler (Meat) Chickens Most supermarkets allow chickens reared intensively for meat to be stocked at densities that exceed government guidelines. Broiler chickens are often kept in their thousands in windowless sheds at such high stocking densities that they soon carpet the floor. Stocking densities are often expressed in terms of the number of kilograms of bird reared per square metre of floor space. UK government guidelines specify a maximum of 34kg/m 2. Only Marks & Spencer stipulates this maximum, which CIWF Trust Overcrowding in broiler (meat) chicken sheds believes is itself too high. All other supermarkets will accept chickens kept at stocking densities up to 38 kg/m 2, thereby exceeding government guidelines. Consumers wishing to buy more humanely reared chicken can choose free range or organic options. All of the supermarkets questioned sell free range and/or organic chickens. Over a third of the chickens sold by Waitrose come from these higher welfare systems. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to insist on reduced stocking densities for indoor-reared broiler chickens, and to promote greater sales of free range and organic chickens. The Welfare of Egg-Laying Hens Moving away from sales of eggs from battery cages is seen by CIWF Trust as a key indicator of performance on farm animal welfare. Marks & Spencer is the first UK supermarket to sell only free range eggs, both in shell and as egg Hens in battery cages ingredient in its entire range of processed foods and ready made meals. Waitrose sells only non-cage eggs in shell and has set a target date of December 2004 to eliminate all cage egg ingredient from its entire sales volume of processed foods and ready-made meals. The Co-operative Group is also aiming to phase out sales of cage eggs in shell at some time in the future. CIWF Trust urges the remaining supermarkets to set targets for the elimination of caged shell egg sales and caged egg ingredients, mindful that the battery system is so cruel that the EU has voted to prohibit it by five

7 The Welfare of Pigs outdoors. Outdoor bred pork, bacon and ham now accounts for at least a quarter of pig meat sales for all the supermarkets surveyed, including One fifth of the pig meat sold by W M Morrison s Stores under their around three quarters or more of sales for Safeway, Somerfield and Waitrose. own label is imported from stall systems, and this includes nearly half (44%) of their premium range of own label ham. The Co-operative Group and Somerfield are also still selling a small proportion of stall and tether-produced pig meat under their own label. In these systems, sows are unable to exercise or turn around throughout their four-month pregnancy. Sow stalls have been banned in the UK on cruelty grounds. Most companies did not supply data for branded pig meat on this issue. Despite a ban on routine tail docking of piglets, the majority of pig meat sold by most supermarkets still comes from pigs that have been tail docked. Only Waitrose has achieved a welcome low of just 2% of pigs being subjected to this mutilation. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to insist that their suppliers provide pigs with bedding material to create an environment that eliminates the perceived need for tail docking. Over half of the pig meat sold by most supermarkets is from pigs that have had their At the end of their pregnancy, most teeth clipped. The proportion is rather lower for breeding sows still give birth and nurse their Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, at one fifth and piglets in narrow farrowing crates. These 12% respectively. Most supermarkets also sell some systems are equally as restricting as sow pig meat from pigs that have been castrated, with stalls, but remain legal in the UK. Much of around half of the pig meat sold by Marks & the pig meat in supermarkets comes Spencer coming from castrated pigs. from mothering sows kept in farrowing crates. All supermarkets sell some pig meat produced using the more humane non-crate indoor system or outdoor farrowing without crates, including over three quarters of the pig meat sold by Waitrose, and around a Pig in sow stall For many supermarkets that sell different product ranges of pig meat, a higher proportion of premium range pig meat is produced from outdoor bred pigs compared with standard and economy ranges. However, this survey has found that premium third of that sold by ASDA, The Co-operative Group, Safeway, Somerfield and Tesco. range pig meat products are not necessarily produced to higher overall welfare standards compared with economy and standard ranges. Indeed, as has been shown for the proportion of pig meat produced using stall The highest welfare rearing system is a well-managed outdoor farm. Since the systems, in some cases premium range pig meat may actually be produced to first CIWF Trust supermarket survey, there have been some very welcome lower welfare standards compared with other pig meat product ranges. increases in the proportion of pig meat produced from breeding sows kept six

8 The Welfare of Farmed Fish Most supermarket trout and some salmon are slaughtered using methods that are unacceptable on welfare grounds. Since the first CIWF Trust supermarket survey in 2001, the proportion of salmon stunned with carbon dioxide, a method condemned on welfare grounds, has increased dramatically for ASDA, Safeway and Somerfield. On the positive side, The Cooperative Group has now joined Marks & Fish Farming Spencer and Waitrose in achieving 100% of salmon slaughtered using more humane percussive stunning. There has also been some welcome progress by Waitrose, becoming the first supermarket to achieve 100% of trout slaughtered using the more humane methods of percussive stunning or electrocution. Most salmon and trout sold in supermarkets have been reared at stocking densities too high for good welfare. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to raise their farmed fish welfare standards by demanding that suppliers rear fish at much reduced stocking densities, use only humane slaughter methods, and stop the practice of prolonged pre-slaughter starvation. The Transport of Animals Millions of farm animals undergo transport over long distances across Europe, simply to be slaughtered at journey s end. To protect their welfare, animals should be transported over the shortest possible distances. In principle, animals for slaughter should be killed at the nearest available abattoir. Maximum journey times should be no more than 8 hours at the very most for mammals, and 4 hours for birds. Sheep in transit All of the supermarkets questioned set a maximum journey time of 8 hours or less for red meat animals travelling to slaughter. W M Morrison s Stores sets the highest standards overall for red meat animals, with journeys of no more than 4 hours to slaughter allowed for cattle, sheep and pigs. Maximum journey times for poultry are generally set far too high. No supermarket has set an acceptable maximum journey time for spent laying hens, with two companies allowing journeys up to 12 hours and many supermarkets not specifying any maximum at all. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to reduce the maximum permitted journey times for all poultry to 4 hours or less. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to ensure that policies on maximum journey times are equally applicable to imported meat as well as animals produced domestically. sevenven

9 Exotic and Luxury Animal Products Exotic animal products are often produced in ways that cause immense suffering. Examples include force-feeding geese and ducks to produce abnormally large livers (foie gras), and cutting the legs from live frogs (frogs legs). Exotic meats are produced from the farming of essentially wild animals such as ostrich or emu. In a very welcome development, none of the supermarkets surveyed now sell foie gras, frogs legs, ostrich or emu meat. Progress Towards the Ideal Welfare-Friendly Supermarket On page 36, CIWF Trust identifies the essential elements which, if adopted, would establish our ideal welfare-friendly supermarket. Marks & Spencer has achieved total compliance with the greatest number of these individual criteria, and is the only supermarket to achieve all laying hens being reared in free range or organic systems, and no products coming from animals treated with Farmed ostrich antibiotic growth promoters or genetically engineered production enhancers. Waitrose is the only supermarket to achieve all animals being provided with bedding material, and all animals, including fish, being slaughtered using humane methods. OVERALL PERFORMANCE ON FARM ANIMAL WELFARE CIWF Trust is seeking to compare the overall performance of the major UK supermarkets and to monitor their progress toward higher standards of farm animal welfare. The supermarkets have therefore been ranked on their responses to the questions, reflecting their performance on key indicators of animal welfare. These key indicators are based on the elements identified by CIWF Trust as part of its vision of the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket. A table is presented on page 41, showing the overall welfare performance ranking for each company. The top 5 supermarkets in 2003, in order of farm animal welfare performance, are Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative Group, Tesco, and Safeway. Waitrose therefore receives the CIWF Trust Compassionate Supermarket of the Year award. Joyce D'Silva, CIWF's Chief Executive presents Stephanie Chafor, Technical Manager at Waitrose with the Compassionate Supermarket of the Year ' award. eight

10 SUPERMARKETS & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE SURVEY RESULTS 2003 The main findings of the 2003 survey are presented here, together with a brief outline of each animal welfare issue. These results will be compared with the results of the first Raising the Standard survey in 2001 to gauge supermarket progress on these issues. The information was received directly from supermarkets via questionnaire during the period May-October Key The following symbols appear in the tables: N/A means Not Applicable. This generally means that the company concerned does not sell the product or item.? means that no data was supplied by the supermarket on that item. Fresh means meat, milk or eggs that have not been frozen or processed. The questions and answers incorporated into the final scoring are highlighted in bold type in the tables All answers refer to both own label and branded products unless otherwise indicated Free-range broilers nine

11 SUPERMARKET SALES OF OWN LABEL AND FARM ASSURED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS Own label Livestock Products Supermarket products are usually sold either with the company s own label or under that of a branded supplier. Table 1 shows that the vast majority of fresh meat, milk and eggs sold in supermarkets is sold under company own labels. Supermarkets have direct control over the standards used to rear animals destined for sale under their own label, and have a greater capacity to set higher standards if they so choose. Farm Assured Livestock Products CIWF Trust s research has shown that the animal welfare standards set by most farm assurance schemes are inadequate, and farm assured cannot therefore be said to assure good welfare. The vast majority of fresh meat, milk and eggs sold in supermarkets is produced under nationally recognised farm assurance schemes. This presents an opportunity for supermarkets to work together with the assurance scheme certification bodies to encourage the raising of animal welfare standards within the schemes. Table 1: SUPERMARKET SALES OF OWN LABEL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS % Sales volume sold under own label rather than supplier s brand label ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Fresh beef Fresh sheep meat Fresh pork Bacon and pig meat sausage / / Ham Fresh poultry meat Fresh milk Shell eggs Question asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh meat, milk and eggs is sold as own label/own brand product rather than under the supplier s brand label? ten

12 Table 2: SUPERMARKET SALES OF FARM ASSURED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS % Sales volume produced under nationally recognised farm assurance schemes ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Fresh beef? Fresh sheep meat? Fresh pig meat? Fresh poultry meat? Fresh milk? Shell eggs? Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh meat (primary product), milk and eggs is produced under nationally recognised farm assurance schemes (eg. Assured British Meat, Scottish Food Quality Certification, Farm Assured Welsh Livestock, Assured Chicken Production, National Dairy Farm Assured, BEIC Lion Quality), or other recognised schemes operating to equivalent standards? Section 1: SUPERMARKET POLICY AND INVESTMENT IN ANIMAL WELFARE Supermarket Animal Welfare Policy CIWF Trust believes that good indicators of the seriousness of a company s commitment to farm animal welfare are whether they have a written corporate policy on animal welfare and whether a board or executive member has been designated with specific responsibility for this issue. It is a welcome development that all of the supermarkets questioned now have a written animal welfare policy and a board level representative with this specific issue in his/her brief. Every supermarket except Morrison has a policy that imported and domestically produced meat, milk and eggs must meet the same animal welfare standards. This is becoming increasingly important as UK and European legislation continue to raise farm animal welfare standards. For example, when the ban on barren battery cages for laying hens comes into force across the EU in 2012 it is essential that the ban is not undermined by imports of cheaper eggs produced to lower welfare standards. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to make a firm policy commitment not to accept imported animal products produced in systems that have been outlawed in the UK/EU on cruelty grounds. The genetic engineering of farm animals, for example, to grow faster, bigger or eleven

13 leaner, threatens to unleash a new wave of serious welfare problems by pushing animals to ever more extreme and unsustainable levels of production. CIWF Trust believes it is important that supermarkets have a clear policy not to stock produce from genetically engineered animals. Table 3 reveals that all except one of the supermarkets questioned have such a policy in place. However, in most cases this policy only applies to own label products. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to extend this commitment to included branded products. Table 3: SUPERMARKET FARM ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Board or executive member for animal welfare? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Written corporate animal welfare policy? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Same animal welfare standards for imported products? Yes Yes Yes? Yes Yes (within limits of Yes Yes what can be achieved given different standards) Policy not to stock products from genetically engineered/cloned animals? Yes* Yes Yes No Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes* Policy includes progeny/descendants of animals subject to genetic engineering or cloning? Yes Yes Yes? Yes? Yes Yes Questions asked: twelve Has your company appointed a main Board/Executive member with specific responsibility for farm animal welfare? Does your company have a written corporate farm animal welfare policy with objectives? Does your company have any policy that imported meat/dairy/egg products are produced from animals reared to the same welfare standards as those produced nationally? Does your company have a policy commitment not to stock any meat, milk and eggs from farm animals subject to genetic engineering, and if so, does this i. apply equally to branded as well as own label products, and ii. include a commitment not to stock products from the progeny or descendants of animals subjected to genetic engineering or cloning? * Data refer to own label products only

14 Investment in Animal Welfare Research The commitment to improving animal welfare standards demonstrated by some supermarkets through their investment in research is very encouraging. Most supermarkets were unable to provide an accurate figure for the amount invested in animal welfare research over the past 12 months. However, Co-op, M&S, Safeway, Tesco and Waitrose were able to provide details of projects that they have participated in by providing funding or technical staff. CIWF Trust welcomes the investment by these supermarkets in animal welfare research and urges all supermarkets to follow their lead and take a more active role in improving animal welfare. Table 4: SUPERMARKET INVESTMENT IN IMPROVING FARM ANIMAL WELFARE ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Number of farm animal welfare research projects in past 12 months? 8 29? Amount invested in farm animal welfare research in the past 12 months???? ? Questions asked: How many research projects on farm animal welfare is your company currently participating in, or has it participated in over the past 12 months, as a strategic partner (by providing either funding or technical staff)? How much has your company invested in research on farm animal welfare in the past 12 months? Free-range broilers Section 2: THE WELFARE OF BROILER (MEAT) CHICKENS In terms of the number of individual animals produced annually, broiler chickens reared for meat represent the largest area of factory farming in the UK. The vast majority of the 800 million broiler chickens reared each year in the UK are crammed together, many thousands of birds in each barren shed. They are kept at such high stocking densities that the birds quickly carpet the floor of the shed. Stocking densities for broiler chickens are often expressed in terms of the number of kilograms of birds reared per square metre of floor space. UK government guidelines specify a maximum of 34 kg/m 2. CIWF Trust believes this is set much too high for good welfare. However, table 5 shows that most supermarkets will accept chickens crammed at stocking densities of 38 kg bird/m 2. Only M&S insist that their suppliers meet the government guidelines on stocking density. Consumers can choose a more humanely reared bird by buying free range or organically produced chickens. All of the supermarkets surveyed report selling these alternatives, and over a third of the chickens sold by Waitrose come from these higher welfare systems. thirteen

15 Broiler chickens have been bred to grow so quickly that their heart, lungs and bones often cannot keep pace. As a result, many suffer painful and crippling lameness. A technique called gait scoring can be used to assess the degree of lameness. The higher the score, the more lame the bird, with a score of 5 indicating that the bird is able to move around only with great difficulty. Birds with a gait score of 3 to 5 are likely to be in considerable pain. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to require their suppliers to adopt gait scoring as a means of assessing the incidence of lameness in their flocks. Table 5: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF BROILER CHICKENS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Fresh and frozen chicken from broilers reared in each system Intensive 99.8** Semi-intensive (e.g. Freedom Food) 0** < Free range/organic 0.2** < Absolute maximum stocking density (kg/m 2 ) 38** Suppliers required to keep records? Yes* Yes No No (records Yes* Yes* Yes of lameness to gait score 3-5? include culls and reason) % Birds with gait score 3-5 in? <2 (includes 0.48?? < <2 past 12 months more than gait score 3-5) Questions asked: fourteen Of the total UK sales volume (both own label and branded) of fresh and frozen chicken sold by your company (both whole birds and chicken joints), what proportion is made up of i. standard intensive broiler chickens, ii. free range broiler chickens, iii. organically reared broiler chickens, and iv. other non-intensively reared broiler chickens (e.g. Freedom Food)? Does your company insist on an absolute maximum (as opposed to planned maximum) chicken stocking density from its suppliers of broiler chickens reared for meat (both UK-produced and imported), and if so, what is the absolute maximum insisted upon? Does your company require its suppliers/farms to keep comprehensive records of the percentage of each flock affected by lameness to gait score 3-5 (including those culled), and if so, does this apply to both branded and unbranded products? What was the average percentage of each flock affected by lameness to gait score 3-5 (including those culled) on your suppliers farms during the past 12 months? * Data refer to own label product only ** 2001 data

16 Section 3: THE WELFARE OF LAYING HENS Battery cages are tiny barren cages in which laying hens cannot exercise or even flap their wings. This system has been the subject of many years of intense public and political campaigning by CIWF and other organisations, which resulted in the EU voting to prohibit barren battery cages by However, the danger of battery eggs being imported into the UK, either as eggs in shell or as liquid or dried egg for processing, will remain after the anticipated EU cage ban. Also, it is possible that conventional battery cages will be replaced by socalled enriched cages. These contain a nest, litter and claw-shortening devices Table 6: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF LAYING HENS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Shell eggs produced in each system Battery cage (Kwik Save 93.2) Barn/perchery Free range/organic Target date for selling only No Yes Achieved No No No No Achieved non-cage shell eggs? (no date given) (Sept 1997) (1999) Policy of not selling eggs produced in enriched cages? No Yes Yes No No No No Yes % Processed egg-containing foods made using non-cage eggs? <5* 100 0?? 2* 20 Target date for using only non-cage No No Achieved No No No No Yes egg ingredient in processed foods? (Sept 2003) (Dec 2004) % Battery eggs clearly labelled N/a N/a Questions asked: Of the total UK sales volume of shell eggs sold by your company (own label and branded) in the UK each year, what percentage is made up of i. battery cage produced eggs, ii. eggs from non-cage alternatives (barn, free range, etc.)? Of your company s total UK sales volume of alternative shell eggs, what proportion is produced using the following non-cage production systems: i. free range, ii. barn/perchery, iii. others (please specify)? Has your company set a target date by which it intends to cease selling both own label and branded battery eggs? Does your company have a policy of not stocking eggs produced in enriched cages? Of your company s total UK sales volume of processed and ready-made meal products containing egg ingredient, what proportion currently uses egg ingredient from non-cage alternatives (barn, free range, etc.)? Has your company set a target date by which it intends to use only non-cage egg ingredient throughout its total sales volume of processed and readymade meals containing egg ingredient? What proportion of battery eggs (both own label and branded) sold in your company s stores is labelled using the clear, factual labelling term Eggs from Caged Hens? * Data refer to own label product only fifteen

17 but still provide insufficient space for the hens to perform many basic movements, let alone achieve any meaningful exercise. CIWF Trust encourages all supermarkets to increase their proportion of non-cage egg sales to 100%. In addition, supermarkets should insist on non-cage egg ingredient in ready-made meals and processed egg products throughout their product range. Marks & Spencer is the first UK supermarket to sell only free range eggs, both in shell and as egg ingredient in its entire range of processed foods and ready Free-range hens made meals. Waitrose sells only non-cage eggs in shell and has set a target date of December 2004 to eliminate all cage egg ingredient from its entire sales volume of processed foods and ready-made meals. Section 4: THE WELFARE OF TURKEYS AND DUCKS Intensive turkey production entails up to tens of thousands of birds being crowded into each shed in conditions similar to broiler chickens. A semiintensive farming method for turkeys is to raise them in pole barns densely stocked sheds, but with natural light and ventilation. Ducks too are generally reared intensively in barren sheds, and denied access to water for swimming. Most supermarkets offer the more humane alternatives of free range or organic turkeys, at least over the Christmas period. Only Waitrose sell free range ducks. CIWF Trust welcomes the fact that no supermarkets report selling meat from billtrimmed ducks, but urges all supermarkets to offer consumers a free range alternative to intensively reared ducks. Table 7: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF TURKEYS % Fresh and frozen turkeys ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose reared in each system Intensive ~ Pole barns Free range/organic Xmas line Question asked: Of the total UK sales volume (both own label and branded) of fresh and frozen turkey sold by your company (both whole birds and turkey joints), what proportion is made up of i. standard intensively reared turkeys ii. pole-barn reared turkeys iii. free range turkeys and iv. organically reared turkeys? sixteen

18 Intensively farmed ducks Free-range turkey Table 8: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF DUCKS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Fresh and frozen ducks reared in each system Intensive Semi-intensive (e.g. Freedom Food) (low density open-sided barns) (Freedom Food) Free range/organic % Ducks bill-trimmed? * Questions asked: Of the total UK sales volume of fresh and frozen duck (both own label and branded) sold by your company, what proportion is made up of i. intensively reared ducks and ii. free range ducks? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh and frozen ducks (both own label and branded) was bill-trimmed during rearing? * Data refer to own label product only seventeen

19 eighteen Section 5: THE WELFARE OF PIGS Breeding Sows In 1999, the UK banned the use of narrow sow stalls and tethers for pregnant pigs. In this system, sows spend their four-month pregnancy caged in a narrow sow stall or chained in a row by a heavy tether around their necks. The EU has agreed to ban the prolonged use of sow stalls from 2013, whilst tethering will be illegal from CIWF believes that supermarkets should support these newly raised welfare standards by ensuring that any pig meat they sell has not been produced by a sow confined in a stall or tether system. This survey found that one fifth of the pig meat sold by Morrison under their own label is produced from the progeny of sows kept in stall systems. Particularly shocking is that this includes nearly half (44%) of their premium range of own label ham. Co-op and Somerfield are also still selling a small proportion of stall and tetherproduced pig meat under their own label. Most companies did not supply data for branded pig meat. Intensively reared sows often spend motherhood behind bars as well. When near to giving birth (farrowing), the heavily pregnant sow is moved to a farrowing crate. Here she will stay until her piglets are weaned at around four weeks old. This is another system in which sows are unable to exercise or turn around. Table 9 shows that the majority of pig meat for most supermarkets is still produced from sows that have given birth and nursed their piglets in farrowing crates. However, all supermarkets sell some pig meat produced using more humane non-crate indoor systems or outdoor farrowing without crates, including over three quarters of the pig meat sold by Waitrose, and around a third of that sold by ASDA, Co-op, Safeway, Somerfield and Tesco. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to encourage their suppliers to abandon the use of farrowing crates altogether. Bedding material such as straw is important for the welfare of sows. They naturally spend a large proportion of their time rooting around, chewing and investigating their surroundings. Where sows are housed indoors, straw gives them the Mother and piglets in farrowing crate material to fulfil these needs. It also provides a more comfortable lying area for these heavy animals, and can help to keep them warm. The survey found that all of the pig meat sold by ASDA and Waitrose, and most of that sold by M&S, Morrison and Somerfield is produced from sows supplied with bedding material. Only around half of the pig meat sold by Co-op, Safeway and Tesco comes from sows in straw-bedded units. CIWF Trust believes that all pigs should be provided with suitable bedding material. The most welfare-friendly rearing Pig with adequate bedding material system is a well-managed outdoor farm. Outdoor bred pig meat now accounts for at least a quarter of pig meat sales for all the supermarkets surveyed, including around three quarters or more of sales for Safeway, Somerfield and Waitrose. CIWF Trust welcomes the general increase in outdoor production since the last survey and encourages all supermarkets to continue this trend.

20 Table 9: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF BREEDING SOWS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison* Safeway* Somerfield* Tesco* Waitrose % Fresh pig meat produced 0* 0.6* <1 0 0 using sow stalls/tethers (stall only) % Fresh pig meat produced using each farrowing system Close confinement *70** farrowing crate Non-crate alternative *5** <1 6 indoor system Outdoor farrowing *25** without crates (fresh pork ~20*) % Fresh pig meat produced *100** from sows provided with bedding material % Fresh pig meat produced 25** 47.4* from sows kept outdoors (outdoor bred) Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK pig meat sales volume (both own label and branded, fresh and processed pig meat, and pig meat ingredient in ready-made meals) is produced from the progeny of breeding sows kept in stall or tether systems? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh pork, bacon and ham (both own label and branded) is produced using the following farrowing systems for farrowing and lactating sows: i. close confinement farrowing crates, ii. non-crate indoor alternatives whereby sows can turn around, iii. outdoor farrowing without crates? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh pork, bacon and ham (both own label and branded) is produced from sows provided with bedding material such as straw? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume (both own label and branded) of fresh pork, bacon and ham is produced from breeding sows kept outdoors (outdoor bred)? * Data refer to own label product only ** 2001 data nineteen

21 Fattening Pigs Reared for Slaughter Bedding material is important to provide comfort and to allow the animals to exercise their exploratory behaviours. Where straw is absent, this can provide a barren environment for the pigs and can lead to problems with so-called vices such as piglets biting each other s tails. Tail docking is used to help prevent piglets biting each other s tails. Similarly, teeth clipping is often carried out in an effort to stop injuries from fighting piglets or to the sow s teats. Scientific and practical evidence shows that by keeping the pigs in better conditions, the need for tail docking can be eliminated. The EU Directive on pigs requires, as of Jan 2003, the provision of manipulable materials such as straw for pigs. Tail docking is also not permitted to be undertaken routinely. Our survey reveals serious questions about the implementation of these legal requirements. Table 10: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF FATTENING PIGS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison* Safeway* Somerfield* Tesco Waitrose % Fresh pig meat produced from fattening pigs subjected to mutilations Tail docking *80** ? * 2 (on veterinary advice) Teeth clipping *85** ? * 12 (on veterinary advice) Castration? ? * 9 (on veterinary advice) % Fresh pig meat produced from ~ * 100 fattening pigs provided with bedding material % Fresh pig meat produced from 0** pigs bred and reared outdoors (spend >50% of (outdoor reared/free range) of life outdoors) Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh pork, bacon and ham (both own label and branded) is produced from pigs reared for slaughter that have been subjected to the following procedures (including that proportion of pigs for which the procedure was carried out on veterinary advice): i. tail docking, ii. teeth clipping, iii. castration? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh pork, bacon and ham (both own label and branded) is produced from pigs reared for slaughter that are provided with bedding material such as straw throughout the rearing phase? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume (both own label and branded) of fresh pork, bacon and ham is produced from pigs for slaughter that have been both bred and reared outdoors (outdoor reared, ie. fattening pigs reared outdoors after weaning)? twenty * Data refers to own label product only ** 2001 data

22 Table 10 shows that all of the pig meat sold by Waitrose, and most of that sold by Morrison and Somerfield, comes from straw-based rearing systems. Unfortunately, the proportion of pigs provided with bedding material has fallen to only around one fifth for ASDA and about one third for Co-op. Despite the ban on routine tail docking of piglets, the majority of the pig meat sold by most supermarkets still comes from pigs that have been tail docked. Only Waitrose has achieved a welcome low of just 2% of pigs being subjected to this mutilation. Over half of the pig meat sold by most supermarkets is from pigs that have had their teeth clipped. The proportion is rather lower for M&S and Waitrose, at one fifth and 12% respectively. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to insist that their suppliers provide pigs with bedding material to create an environment that eliminates the perceived need for these mutilations. Most supermarkets also sell some pig meat from pigs that have been castrated, with around half of that sold by M&S coming from castrated pigs. Outdoor pig farms often breed the piglets in the open air. However, many are then subsequently reared indoors. Co-op, M&S and Tesco report selling a small proportion of pig meat from pigs that have been both bred and reared outdoors, and one fifth of the pig meat sold by Morrison ( own label only) and Waitrose comes from these higher welfare outdoor rearing systems. Around two thirds of the pig meat sold by Safeway is from pigs that have spent at least half of their lives outdoors. Section 6: THE WELFARE OF CATTLE Beef Cattle Two key indicators of the potential for high welfare in cattle rearing systems are whether the animals are provided with straw bedding and allowed access to the outdoors, at least during the grazing season. Table 11 shows that most supermarkets reported that cattle are generally given bedding material when housed. Only Co-op still has just 5-10% of its beef from straw-housed animals. Permanently indoor-housed cattle account for around 10% of fresh beef sales for Tesco, and less than 5% for ASDA, Co-op and Waitrose. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to ensure that standards insist on the provision of bedding, and that all cattle have access to the outdoors. In view of the birthing difficulties associated with double-muscled breeds of cattle, such as the Belgian Blue, CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to follow the lead of M&S on this issue by making a policy commitment not to accept beef from these breeds. Beef cattle twenty one

23 Table 11: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF BEEF CATTLE ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway* Somerfield* Tesco* Waitrose % Fresh beef from cattle kept in each system Indoors permanently <5 <5* (will be 0 (zero grazing) by end of 2003) Indoors with daytime? outdoor access during grazing season Outdoors permanently? > during grazing season Outdoors permanently 0 <5* throughout the year (or very limited) % Fresh beef from cattle provided with bedding material when housed % Fresh beef from double muscled 1 < breeds (eg. Belgian Blue) Policy of not accepting beef from No No Yes No No No No? double muscled breeds? Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh beef (both own label and branded) is produced from cattle reared i. in permanent indoor housing (including during the grazing season), ii. in indoor housing with daytime access to the outdoors during the grazing season, and iii. outdoors permanently? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh beef (both own label and branded) is produced from housed cattle provided with bedding material such as straw? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh beef (both own label and branded) is produced from slaughter cattle from doublemuscled breeds such as the Belgian Blue? Does your company have a policy of not accepting beef produced from double-muscled cattle such as the Belgian Blue breed? * Data refer to own label product only twenty two

24 Dairy Cattle supermarkets to insist that their suppliers abandon these practices altogether. CIWF Trust High welfare systems for dairy cows should provide daytime access to the welcomes the fact that no supermarkets report outdoors during the grazing season, and ensure that all cows have clean, dry selling dairy products from cows treated with bedding material. When housed, the cows should have freedom to move the genetically engineered production enhancer, around and exercise. These standards appear to be met for the vast majority of Bovine Somatotropin (BST). Although banned dairy cows producing fresh milk for the supermarkets questioned. However, from sale in the EU, BST could have been used there are small proportions of cows producing milk for Safeway, Somerfield and on imported dairy produce (e.g. from the Tesco that are tethered in the cowshed or kept in highly intensive zero grazing United States). systems where the cows are kept indoors permanently. CIWF Trust urges all Table 12: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF DAIRY CATTLE Dairy cattle ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Own label fresh milk from dairy cattle kept in each system Indoors permanently (zero grazing) Tethered indoors with untethered daily exercise Housed without tethering 100 < with outdoor access during grazing season % Own label fresh milk from dairy cattle provided with bedding material when housed % Dairy products produced using BST? * 0 Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of own label fresh milk is produced from cows that are i. kept on a zero-grazing basis (ie. kept permanently within the shed/yard without access to the outdoors during the grazing season), ii. tied/tethered within the cowshed but given untethered exercise on a daily basis, or iii. housed in yards or cubicle sheds, without being tied/tethered, and are given access to outdoor pasture during the grazing season? What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of own label fresh milk is produced from cows that are provided with bedding material such as straw in the covered housing or yard? Of your company s total UK sales volume of dairy products, including ice cream, what proportion has been produced using the genetically engineered growth hormone, Bovine Somatotropin (BST)? twenty three

25 Section 7: EXOTIC/LUXURY ANIMAL PRODUCTS AND THE WELFARE OF OTHER FARMED ANIMALS Veal Calves None of the supermarkets questioned sell veal produced in veal crates. This is very welcome as this system involves confining the calves in narrow individual crates in darkened sheds where they are unable to exercise or even turn around and are denied social contact. It is a system that was banned in the UK in 1990 following a campaign led by CIWF, and will be banned in the EU from For good welfare, calves should be provided with bedding material and housed in groups throughout the rearing period. Of the four supermarkets that sell veal, only Waitrose meets both of these requirements for all calves. M&S is the only supermarket to sell veal produced in systems where the calves are kept separately for the first weeks of life. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets that sell veal to insist that suppliers use straw-based group housing throughout the entire rearing period. Veal calves on straw Table 13: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON VEAL CALF WELFARE ASDA* Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Fresh veal from calves reared in each system Veal crates N/a N/a 0 N/a 0 N/a 0 0 Non-straw based N/a N/a 100 N/a 100 N/a group housing (partially slatted, (e.g. slatted floor) some bedding) Straw-based group N/a N/a 0 N/a 0 N/a housing % Fresh veal from calves group N/a N/a 0 N/a 100 N/a housed throughout entire rearing period Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh veal (both own label and branded) comes from each of the following production systems: i. veal crates, ii. non-straw-based group housing (slatted floors, no bedding), iii. straw-based group housing? Of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh veal reared in group housing, what proportion is produced from calves kept in groups throughout the entire rearing period including the first few weeks of life? * 2001 data twenty four

26 Farmed Deer Welfare concerns remain about the farming of deer, especially with regard to the method of slaughter. Deer require specially designed facilities for slaughter to minimise the stress caused by handling, and should therefore be slaughtered in a dedicated deer slaughterhouse or shot by a skilled marksman in the field of rearing. Farmed deer is sold by five supermarkets: ASDA, M&S, Safeway, Tesco and Waitrose. All except Safeway use dedicated deer slaughterhouses. Intensively farmed deer Table 14: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF FARMED DEER ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Venison from farmed deer slaughtered by each method Shot in the field 0 N/a 0 N/a 0 N/a 0 0 Dedicated deer 100 N/a 100 N/a 0 N/a abattoir Standard red meat 0 N/a 0 N/a 100 N/a 0 0 abattoir Question asked: Does your company sell meat from farmed deer, and if so, what proportion is produced from animals slaughtered i. on-farm by being shot in the field, ii. in a dedicated deer slaughterhouse not used for the killing of other red meat animals or iii. in standard red meat abattoirs? twenty five

27 Quail The tiny game bird, quail, is also farmed intensively. These farms often resemble miniature versions of the intensive systems used for chicken and egg production. Safeway, Tesco and Waitrose sell quail meat, all intensively farmed. Tesco and Waitrose also sell quail eggs. Only Waitrose sells quail eggs from higher welfare loose housing systems, accounting for over three quarters of their sales. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets selling quail meat and eggs to source these products from less intensive systems with the potential for higher welfare. Table 15: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF QUAIL ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose % Farmed quail meat produced in each system % Quail eggs produced in each system Intensive N/a N/a N/a N/a 100* N/a Extensive N/a N/a N/a N/a 0* N/a 0 0 Cages N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Loose N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a 0 80 housing Questions asked: Does your company sell farmed quail meat, and if so, what proportion of the total sales volume (both own label and branded) is produced i. intensively and ii. extensively? Does your company sell farmed quail eggs, and if so, what proportion of the total sales volume (both own label and branded) is produced from i. caged quail and ii. quail kept in loose housing (such as deep litter)? * Data refer to own label product only Other Farmed Species and Exotic/Luxury Animal Products Farmed rabbits are also usually reared intensively in barren wire cages. Exotic and luxury animal products are often produced in ways that cause immense suffering. Examples include force-feeding geese and ducks to produce abnormally large livers (foie gras), and cutting the legs from live frogs (frogs legs). Exotic meats are produced from the farming of essentially wild animals such as ostrich or emu. It is a very welcome development that none of the supermarkets surveyed now sell farmed rabbit meat, foie gras, frogs legs, ostrich or other ratite meat. Table 16: SUPERMARKET SALES OF OTHER FARMED SPECIES AND EXOTIC/LUXURY ANIMAL PRODUCTS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose twenty six Foie gras sold? No No No No No No No No Frogs legs sold? No No No No No No No No Ostrich/other ratite meat sold? No No No No No No No No Rabbit meat sold? No No No No No No No No Question asked: Does your company sell the following at any time during the year: i. foie gras or products containing foie gras, ii. frogs legs, iii. ostrich meat, or meat from other ratites (eg. emu), iv. rabbit meat?

28 Section 8: LIVESTOCK MARKETS, TRANSPORT AND SLAUGHTER Livestock Markets Livestock markets are traditional collection points where large numbers of farm animals, such as sheep, cattle, pigs and horses, are bought and sold. Markets are noisy, confusing and highly stressful places for animals. Pens are often overstocked, and the animals handled roughly, and deprived of food and water. The welfare of the animals is better protected, and the risk of spreading disease is reduced, if they are spared market day. Table 17 shows that in general, the proportion of meat animals sourced from livestock markets remains at a welcome low level. Since the first CIWF Trust supermarket survey in 2001, Safeway has joined M&S and Waitrose in having dispensed with markets entirely for own label meat. However, Morrison still source around half of their beef and sheep meat from livestock markets. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to abandon the use of livestock markets altogether. Sheep at market Table 17: PROPORTION OF SUPERMARKET OWN LABEL FRESH MEAT SOURCED FROM LIVESTOCK MARKETS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Beef 5 < <1 0 0 Sheep meat 15 < < Pig meat Question asked: What proportion of your company s total sales volume of own label fresh i. beef, ii. sheep meat and iii. pig meat is produced from animals sourced through physical livestock auction marts in the past 12 months? twenty seven

29 Livestock Transport The long distance transport of animals for slaughter or further fattening is a major public issue in the UK and Europe. Millions of farm animals undergo transport over long distances across Europe, simply to be slaughtered at journey s end. To protect their welfare, animals should be transported over the shortest possible distances. In principle, animals for slaughter should be killed at the nearest available abattoir. Supermarkets can play a role in improving the situation by insisting on the lowest possible maximum journey times for animals travelling to slaughter. Maximum journey times should be no more than 8 hours at the very most for mammals, and 4 hours for birds. It is essential that policies on maximum journey times apply equally to imported meat as well as that produced domestically. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to join Co-op, M&S, Safeway, Tesco and Waitrose in setting the same standards for the transport of both red meat animals and poultry for imported and domestically produced meat. Despite the long journeys allowed for the majority of poultry by most supermarkets, it is reassuring that the actual average journey times to slaughter are generally much lower than the maximums set for both red meat animals and poultry. Table 18 reveals that all supermarkets surveyed set a maximum journey time of 8 hours or less for red meat animals travelling to slaughter. Morrison set the highest standards overall for red meat animals, with journeys of no more than 4 hours to slaughter allowed for cattle, sheep and pigs, and this standard was matched by Co-op for pigs. Maximum journey times for poultry are generally set far too high. Satisfactory maximums are set by Co-op for broiler chickens, turkeys and ducks (all 4 hours), by Morrison for turkeys (3 hours), and by Somerfield for broiler chickens (4 hours). It is very disappointing that no supermarket set an acceptable maximum for spent laying hens, with two companies allowing journeys up to 12 hours and many supermarkets not specifying any maximum at all. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to reduce their maximum permitted journey times for all poultry to 4 hours or less. Sheep in transporter twenty eight

30 Table 18: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON WELFARE DURING TRANSPORT Journey times (hours) ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Cattle Maximum 8** Average? 3-4 1h 42min Sheep Maximum 8** Average? 3-4 2h 14min Pigs Maximum 7.5 8** Average? 1-2 2h 41min Same policy for red meat Must comply with animal transport outside UK? national legislation** Yes Yes? Yes No Yes Yes Broiler Maximum 12** chickens Average? 1-2 2h 8min Spent laying Maximum?? 12? 12? 8 8 hens Average?? 4h 41min? 8? 4 3 Turkeys Maximum 7** Average? 1 2 2h 32min Ducks Maximum 8** Average? 1 2 2h 11min Same policy for poultry Must comply with transport outside UK? national legislation** Yes Yes? Yes Yes Yes Yes Welfare policy covering poultry? Yes Yes No Yes To ACP Yes Yes catching/transport? standards Questions asked: What is the total maximum journey time from farm to slaughter, including loading and unloading, allowed by your company for i. cattle, ii. sheep and iii. pigs (hours), and does this policy apply to meat imported from animals being transported for slaughter in non-uk countries as well as the UK? What is the average journey time that i. cattle, ii. sheep and iii. pigs travel from farm to slaughter, including loading and unloading, for your company? What is the total maximum journey time from farm to slaughter, including loading and unloading, allowed by your company for i. broiler chickens, ii. spent laying hens, iii. turkeys and iv. ducks (hours), and does this policy apply equally to imported poultry being transported for slaughter in non-uk countries as well as the UK? What is the average journey time that broiler chickens, spent laying hens, turkeys and ducks travel from farm to slaughter, including loading and unloading, for your company? Does your company have a welfare policy covering the catching of poultry and subsequent transport (eg. stocking densities in transport cages)? * Assured Chicken Production farm assurance scheme ** 2001 data twenty nine

31 Slaughter It is very welcome to see that for all supermarkets selling meat from animals slaughtered by religious methods, 100% of these animals are stunned before slaughter. Table 19: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON WELFARE AT SLAUGHTER ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield* Tesco Waitrose Ritually slaughtered red meat sold? Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes Ritually slaughtered poultry sold? Yes No No No Yes No No No % Ritually slaughtered fresh Beef N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a? and frozen meat Sheep meat N/a N/a 100 N/a N/a 100 from animals subject to preslaughter Chicken meat 100 N/a N/a N/a 100 N/a N/a N/a stunning Turkey meat N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Question asked: If your company sells red meat and/or poultry (own label or branded) from animals that have been ritually slaughtered, what proportion of total UK sales volume of ritually slaughtered meat (both fresh and frozen) is produced from animals subject to pre-slaughter stunning: i. beef, ii. sheep meat, iii. chicken meat, iv. turkey meat? * Data refer to own label product only Section 9: THE WELFARE OF FARMED FISH Farmed Salmon to see that the proportion of salmon slaughtered using this inhumane method has actually thirty Most farmed salmon are reared intensively. Table 20 shows that most salmon reared in sea cages are kept at a stocking density of kg of fish per cubic metre of water. That is equivalent to each salmon measuring three quarters of a metre long (2.5 feet) being allocated a bathtub of water. Serious welfare problems arise from rearing too many fish in each cage. Another major welfare concern for farmed fish is the slaughter method used. Percussive stunning is the more humane method. However, some supermarket salmon are slaughtered using carbon dioxide stunning before having their gills cut, a method condemned by CIWF Trust on welfare grounds. It is disappointing increased dramatically for ASDA, Safeway and Somerfield since the first CIWF Trust supermarket survey in On the positive side, Co-op has now joined M&S and Waitrose in achieving 100% of salmon slaughtered using the more humane percussive stun. Fish farm

32 Table 20: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF FARMED SALMON Maximum stocking density (kg/m 3 ) ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose At freshwater? No 15???? parr stage maximum (organic 10) (organic 10-15) In seawater (organic 10) cages/pens (typically <15) % Organically produced 0** <5 10? 0* 0 3* 27 Starvation period before slaughter (days) % Killed by each stunning/ slaughter method Mechanical percussive stun Manual percussive stun Carbon dioxide stunning Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh farmed salmon (both own label and branded) is slaughtered in the following ways: i. percussive stun using a mechanical stunner, ii. percussive stun using a manual priest, iii. electrocution, iv. carbon dioxide stunning, v. asphyxiation by air, vi. other methods (please specify)? Under normal circumstances, how many days would the farmed salmon for your company be starved before slaughter? Does your company insist on a maximum fish stocking density from its farmed salmon suppliers, and what is this maximum i. at freshwater parr stage and ii. in seawater cages or pens (kg salmon/metre 3 of water)? * Data refer to own label product only ** 2001 data Salmon are often starved for 7-14 days before slaughter. This is carried out to empty the fish s gut for food hygiene reasons. However, experts suggest that only hours of starvation is needed to achieve gut clearance. Since the last survey, Co-op and M&S have reduced the starvation period before slaughter for their salmon to 3 days, matching the higher welfare standard on this issue already achieved by Safeway and Waitrose. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to raise their standards of welfare by demanding that suppliers rear salmon at much reduced stocking densities, use only humane slaughter methods, and stop the practice of prolonged pre-slaughter starvation. Co-op, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose sell organic salmon, with over a quarter of salmon sold by Waitrose coming from this higher welfare system. thirty one

33 Farmed Trout Freshwater trout are usually reared in earth ponds or tanks with fast-flowing water known as raceways. They are generally stocked at a density of 30 kilograms of fish per cubic metre of water. That is equivalent to giving a dozen trout, each measuring a foot long, a bathtub of water. Several supermarkets said their suppliers use stocking densities that can be much higher even than this. Most supermarket trout were found by the survey to be slaughtered using methods that are not acceptable on welfare grounds. Suffocation in air or on ice, both methods that cause the fish to suffer for a prolonged time before becoming unconscious, have been condemned by the UK Government s advisory Farm Animal Welfare Council. There has been some welcome progress by Waitrose since the 2001 survey, becoming the first supermarket to achieve 100% of trout slaughtered using the more humane methods of percussive stunning or electrocution. CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to raise their standards of welfare by demanding that suppliers rear trout at much reduced stocking densities and use only humane slaughter methods. ASDA, Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose report selling organic trout, with half of the trout sold by Co-op and one fifth of the those sold by Waitrose coming from this less intensive system. Table 21: SUPERMARKET PERFORMANCE ON THE WELFARE OF FARMED TROUT ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Maximum stocking density (kg/m 3 )? (small trout), 28 (organic 20) 20 (large trout) (organic 10) % Organically produced 1** * 0 0.5* 20 Mechanical percussive stun % Killed by each stunning/ slaughter method Manual percussive stun Electrocution Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stunning Asphyxiation in air Asphyxiation on ice Other Hypothermia Live chilling, then CO 2 /gill slit thirty two Questions asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of fresh farmed trout (both own label and branded) is slaughtered in the following ways: i. percussive stun using a mechanical stunner, ii. percussive stun using a manual priest, iii. electrocution, iv. carbon dioxide stunning, v. asphyxiation in air, vi. asphyxiation on ice, vii. other methods (please specify)? Does your company insist on a maximum fish stocking density from its farmed trout suppliers, and what is this maximum (kg trout/metre 3 of water)? * Data refer to own label product only ** 2001 data

34 ANTIBIOTICS IN LIVESTOCK FARMING The routine use of antibiotics in livestock farming, either as growth promoters or to prevent disease outbreaks (prophylactic use), can lead to the development of resistant strains of bacteria, with potentially serious implications for human health. Where they are used, antibiotics may boost growth rates further in animals whose bodies are already pushed to the limit to produce the maximum amount of meat. Their use also supports intensive farming systems by controlling the spread of infections, allowing animals to be crowded together at higher densities than would otherwise be possible. Table 22 shows the proportion of meat sold under supermarkets own label that has been produced without the routine use of antibiotics. For the most part, antibiotics do not appear to be used routinely in the production of supermarket own label beef and sheep meat. However, antibiotic growth promoters are still used in the production of a worryingly high proportion of own label pig meat for most supermarkets, and also in the production of some own label chicken for several supermarkets. Table 22: ROUTINE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN SUPERMARKET OWN LABEL MEAT PRODUCTION % Sales volume own label meat produced WITHOUT the use of antibiotics for the following purposes: ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Beef Growth promotion 100 > As per assurance scheme standards Prophylactic use? >90 0 (no routine As per assurance prophylactic use) scheme standards As per assurance Sheep meat Growth promotion 100 > scheme standards Prophylactic use? >90 0 (no routine As per assurance prophylactic use) scheme standards As per assurance Pig meat Growth promotion 100 <5 100 scheme standards Prophylactic use? <5 0 (no routine As per assurance prophylactic use) scheme standards As per assurance Chicken Growth promotion scheme standards Prophylactic use? <5 0 (no routine As per assurance prophylactic use) scheme standards Question asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume of own label i. beef, ii. sheep meat, iii. pig meat and iv. chicken is produced i. without the use of antibiotic growth promoters, and ii. without the prophylactic use of antibiotics, at any stage in the rearing process? thirty three

35 SUPERMARKET SALES OF ALTERNATIVES TO INTENSIVELY FARMED ANIMAL PRODUCTS Free Range and Organic Meat, Milk and Eggs Organic farming is a land-based farming system which does not use chemical fertilisers and pesticides; prevents disease through best practice animal husbandry rather than drugs; is in harmony with the environment and is a good example of a farming method with the potential for high standards of animal welfare. CIWF Trust encourages the promotion of organic produce as a welfarefriendly alternative to factory farming. Free-range pigs Table 23 summarises the proportion of supermarket sales of meat, milk and eggs that are produced in intensive, free range and organic systems. For consumers wishing to avoid intensively farmed animal products, all of the supermarkets surveyed sell some free range and/or organic meat, milk and eggs. Waitrose provides the best overall range with at least 20% of sales coming from animals reared in free range and/or organic systems for all of the product categories they were questioned on. Free-range broiler chickens thirty four

36 Table 23: SUPERMARKET SALES OF ORGANIC, FREE RANGE AND INTENSIVELY PRODUCED ANIMAL PRODUCTS % Sales volume: ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Fresh beef Organic 0.4** < Free range >95*** Zero-grazed <5 < Fresh sheep Organic 0** ? 5 7 meat Free range? ? Zero-grazed? ? 0 0 Fresh pork, Organic 0.9** < bacon, ham Free range 0** < Indoor housed 99.1*** Fresh chicken Organic 0.2** < Free range 0** < Indoor housed 99.8** Fresh turkey Organic Xmas line Free range Xmas line Indoor housed ~ Fresh duck Organic Free range Indoor housed Fresh farmed Organic 0** < salmon Intensive 100** > Fresh farmed Organic 1** trout Intensive 99** Fresh milk Organic 5** ? Free range 95*** Zero-grazed Shell eggs Organic 5** Free range 23*** Indoor housed Question asked: What proportion of your company s total UK sales volume (both own label and branded) in each livestock/product category is produced in the following systems: i. organic, ii. free range (non-organic), iii. indoor housing/standard intensive systems (non-organic, non-free range)? * Data refer to own label product only ** 2001 data *** Estimation based on incomplete data sets from 2001 and 2003 thirty five

37 Vegetarian and Vegan Alternatives to Animal Products For consumers wishing to avoid or cut down on meat and/or other animal products, most supermarkets provide a good range of vegetarian products, and these are generally easily recognisable as all supermarkets surveyed use either the official Vegetarian Society symbol or their own symbol identifying products suitable for vegetarians. The availability of vegan products is more restricted. Morrison provides the best range, with over 90% of stores selling all of the vegan products they were questioned on. Table 24: SUPERMARKET SALES OF VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL PRODUCTS ASDA Co-op M&S Morrison Safeway Somerfield Tesco Waitrose Vegetarian sausages New product launch Oct 2003 Vegetarian burgers Product in development % Stores selling each product Vegetarian pies ? Vegetarian cheese Tofu Soya milk Vegan yoghurt? ? 0 20 <5 Vegan ice cream? ? 0 50 <5 Use vegetarian symbol? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Use vegan symbol? No Yes No No No No No No Questions asked: What percentage of your stores sell the following products: i. vegetarian sausages, ii. vegetarian burgers, iii. vegetarian pies (savoury), iv. vegetarian cheese, v. tofu, vi. soya milk, vii. vegan yoghurt, viii. vegan ice cream? Does your company use the official symbols of the Vegetarian and Vegan Societies (or your own symbol) on appropriate own-brand products? thirty six

38 THE IDEAL WELFARE-FRIENDLY SUPERMARKET OF THE FUTURE CIWF Trust is encouraging supermarkets to progress toward a more humane food system. This survey reflects the current state of progress in the retail industry. To aid this process, CIWF Trust has identified the following points which it believes form the essential elements to be included in the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket of the future: All red meat, poultry meat, milk and eggs would be free range or organically produced. This would include 100% of fresh and processed produce. It would also include 100% of manufactured foods and ready-made meals containing animal products as an ingredient. This 100% free range or organic requirement would include the company s entire range of branded products as well as its own label range. No fish products would come from conventional intensive farms. All animals would be provided with bedding material such as straw (mammals) or litter (birds). No animals would be subjected to mutilations such as tail docking, teeth clipping, debeaking or castration. No products would be accepted from breeds of farm animal bred to unsustainable levels of production, for which major welfare problems are unavoidable. Examples include fast-growing broiler chickens, Holstein dairy cattle, and double-muscled breeds of beef cattle such as the Belgian Blue. Instead, dual-purpose breeds of poultry and cattle would be the norm. No products from genetically engineered or cloned animals, or their descendants, would be accepted. No products would be accepted from animals treated with antibiotic growth promoters, nor those produced using genetically engineered production enhancers such as Bovine Somatotropin (BST) for dairy cows. No exotic animal products would be sold that are produced from essentially wild animals or those where production imposes severe welfare problems. Examples here include ostrich and emu meat, frogs legs and foie gras. No animals or meat would be sourced from livestock auction markets. Journey times for animals travelling to slaughter would be progressively reduced to the point where the norm is for animals to be slaughtered on the farm of rearing or at the local abattoir. All animals, including fish, would be slaughtered humanely using effective pre-slaughter stunning or instantaneous stun-kill methods. The company would strive to continually improve animal welfare by investment in research, and would have a written animal welfare policy with targets that are actively reviewed on an annual basis. A main Board or Executive member would be appointed with specific responsibility for animal welfare, and ideally a dedicated animal welfare officer would be appointed to the staff to facilitate active implementation of the company s animal welfare policy. Table 25 reveals that Marks & Spencer has achieved total compliance on the greatest number of individual criteria for CIWF Trust s vision of the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket, and is the only supermarket to achieve the following: All laying hens are reared in free range or organic systems. No products are sold from animals treated with antibiotic growth promoters or genetically engineered production enhancers. Waitrose is the only supermarket to achieve the following: All animals are provided with bedding material. All animals, including fish, are slaughtered using humane methods. All supermarkets met one criterion for the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket: No foie gras, frogs legs, ostrich or emu meat is sold. Joyce D'Silva, Chief Executive of CIWF presents award for Welfare Ideal - Most Advanced Supermarket to Marks & Spencer s Technical Manager Paul Willgoss. thirty seven

39 Table 25: SUPERMARKET ACHIEVEMENT OF TOTAL COMPLIANCE ON INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA FOR THE IDEAL WELFARE-FRIENDLY SUPERMARKET OF THE FUTURE CRITERIA FOR THE IDEAL WELFARE-FRIENDLY SUPERMARKET: M&S Waitrose Safeway Co-op Morrison Tesco ASDA Somerfield thirty eight All animals reared in free range or organic systems Broiler chickens Laying hens Turkeys and ducks Pigs Cattle (beef and dairy) Fish All animals provided with bedding material No animals subjected to mutilations No unacceptable breeds or genetically engineered animals No antibiotic growth promoters or genetically engineered production enhancers used No exotic animal products sold (foie gras, frogs legs, ostrich/emu meat) No animals sourced from livestock markets All animals slaughtered on farm of rearing or nearest abattoir All animals, including fish, slaughtered using humane methods Investment in research, animal welfare policy, and board member responsible for animal welfare NUMBER OF CRITERIA MET (/15)

40 COMPASSIONATE SUPERMARKET OF THE YEAR SCORING METHODOLOGY CIWF Trust is seeking to compare the overall performance of the major UK supermarkets and to monitor their progress toward higher farm animal welfare standards. The supermarkets have therefore been scored on their responses to the questions, reflecting their performance on key indicators of animal welfare. These key indicators are based on the elements identified by CIWF Trust as part of its vision of the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket. The scoring system incorporates as many of the questions as possible that are directly linked with welfare and for which a meaningful set of responses was obtained. These questions are divided into nine sections relating to key welfare issues, and each of these sections is given equal weighting. The discussion of the results in the main body of the report is divided into these same sections, and the questions and answers incorporated into the scoring are highlighted in bold type in the tables within these sections. In dividing the questions into sections, questions relating to the welfare of relatively small numbers of animals or animals that are mostly reared in fairly extensive systems are generally grouped together into sections, whilst larger or more intensively farmed groups are given individual sections. It is obviously very difficult to quantify animal welfare and to make judgements about the relative impact on farm animal welfare of different factors affecting different animal species and widely different numbers of individual animals. Whilst recognising this, CIWF Trust believes that the scoring system used produces a fair reflection of overall supermarket performance on animal welfare. The supermarkets are ranked on their responses to each question. The supermarket with the best performance is awarded 7 points, the next best 6 points, and so on until the eighth ranked supermarket is awarded 0 points. Where two or more supermarkets perform equally on a question, they are given equal ranking, and if more than one supermarket has the worst possible performance (eg. 100% intensively reared) they are each awarded 0 points. As the number of questions in each section varies, an average is taken of all the points awarded in each section to give the overall score (out of 7) for each section. The section scores are then added to give the total score out of a possible maximum of 63 points, with the highest total score indicating the most welfare-friendly supermarket. This score is intended for comparison of supermarkets, rather than as an absolute measure of performance. To score the different animal rearing systems, they are divided for each of the main animal species into intensive, semi-intensive and extensive. To produce a fair score, which takes into account the proportion in all three types of system, the supermarkets are ranked twice - once for the proportion in intensive systems (with the smallest proportion ranked highest) and once for the proportion in extensive systems (with the greatest proportion ranked highest). As a result of this double scoring of the distribution of animals between systems, this factor is effectively weighted to make it twice as important as the other questions in the section. This reflects the huge impact of the type of system on welfare. For slaughter methods (deer and fish) the methods are divided into those that are considered acceptable on welfare grounds and those that are not, and one of these is scored in each case. The scores for each supermarket and their positions are presented in table 26. Copies of the full scoring system, including the points awarded for each individual question, are available upon request from CIWF Trust. Waitrose performed best on the welfare of turkeys and ducks; the welfare of pigs; livestock markets, transport and slaughter; and the welfare of farmed fish, and achieved the highest overall score. Waitrose therefore receives the CIWF Trust Compassionate Supermarket of the Year award. Marks & Spencer is the runner-up, and performed best on animal welfare policy and investment in animal welfare research; the welfare of broiler chickens; and the welfare of laying hens. thirty nine

41 Table 26: COMPASSIONATE SUPERMARKET OF THE YEAR SCORE Waitrose M&S Co-op Tesco Safeway Morrison Somerfield ASDA Section 1: Policy/investment in animal welfare (/7) Section 2: Welfare of broiler chickens (/7) Section 3: Welfare of Laying hens (/7) Section 4: Welfare of turkeys and ducks (/7) Section 5: Welfare of pigs (/7) Section 6: Welfare of cattle (/7) Section 7: Exotic/luxury animal products and welfare of other animals (/7) Section 8: Markets, transport and slaughter (/7) Section 9: Welfare of farmed fish (/7) TOTAL SCORE (/63) POSITION forty

42 CIWF TRUST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRESS ON FARM ANIMAL WELFARE CIWF Trust s Raising the Standard supermarket survey aims to encourage progress toward higher standards of farm animal welfare throughout the retail sector. In this survey report, CIWF Trust has set out its long-term vision of the elements that should be included in the ideal welfare-friendly supermarket of the future. By repeating its supermarket survey, CIWF Trust aims to stimulate and chart improvements in performance and commitment made by major UK supermarkets on farm animal welfare. To aid this process, and based on the 2003 survey results, the following general recommendations for short-term progress are offered: CIWF Trust urges all supermarkets to insist on reduced stocking densities for indoor-reared broiler chickens, and to promote a greater proportion of sales of free range and organically reared chickens. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to follow the lead of Marks & Spencer in no longer selling battery eggs and battery egg ingredient, by setting targets for the elimination of battery egg sales from their product range in favour of more humanely produced free range and barn eggs. CIWF Trust calls on those supermarkets still selling imported own label or branded pig meat produced using sow stalls and tethers to stop doing so. These systems, in which sows cannot even turn around throughout their four-month pregnancy, have been banned in the UK on cruelty grounds. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to promote a greater proportion of sales of pork, bacon, ham and processed pig meat products from pigs farmed outdoors. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to provide bedding material for all farmed animals. CIWF Trust encourages all supermarkets to insist on the lowest possible maximum journey times for animals travelling to slaughter. Maximum journey times should be no more than 8 hours at the very most for mammals, and 4 hours for birds. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to ensure that policies on maximum journey times are equally applicable to imported meat as well as animals produced domestically. CIWF Trust urges those supermarkets still obtaining some animals from livestock markets to abandon using them altogether. CIWF Trust urges supermarkets to raise their farmed fish welfare standards by demanding that suppliers rear fish at much reduced stocking densities, use only humane slaughter methods, and stop the practice of prolonged preslaughter starvation. CIWF Trust urges those supermarkets that have not already done so to set a clear policy of not stocking produce from genetically engineered or cloned animals, or their descendants. This policy should cover branded as well as own label products. New born lamb Wendy Parkyn forty one