Buying Freedom Food: Support Animal Welfare
Farm Animal Welfare Council Defines Five Freedoms
Freedom food products are reared and produced from Freedom Food approved farms, to meet the increasing demand for higher welfare for animals. The RSPCA welfare standards are based on scientific research, veterinary advice and practical farming experience. They are far more comprehensive than the welfare requirements of current UK and EU legislation, and are constantly being reviewed to ensure they reflect the latest information on animal welfare.
Animal Welfare Standards
Standards for the rearing, handling, transport and slaughter of farm animals are broadly based on the Five Freedoms as defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC). Although these are ideal states, they provide a benchmark towards which the detailed standards aim. They include:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst, by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
- Freedom from discomfort, by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease, by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour, by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
- Freedom from fear and distress, by ensuring conditions and care which avoid mental suffering.
The RSPCA has already developed welfare standards for nine farm animals that are commonly farmed for food. These cover policies for chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, salmon, laying hens, ducks and cattle (for dairy products and meat).
The Policies Behind Freedom Food products
Freedom Food is a non-profit making charity set up by the RSPCA in 1994. It is completely independent from the food industry.
All farm animals under the Freedom Food scheme must be reared according to strict RSPCA welfare standards. These species-specific standards cover each stage of an animal's life, including handling and transportation. The RSPCA standards are deliberately practical and achievable. They can be implemented on both large- and small-scale farms, and cover indoor and outdoor systems. This helps to provide real welfare improvements for as many farm animals as possible.
How Membership Works
A Freedom Food trained assessor visits everyone who applies for membership and completes a thorough audit of their premises. Each applicant must fully comply with all RSPCA welfare standards before they are accepted onto the scheme. Members include farmers, hauliers, processors and abattoirs. There are currently over 2,200 Freedom Food members.
All members are re-inspected by a Freedom Food trained assessor once a year. In addition, RSPCA farm livestock officers carry out monitoring visits on a percentage of the membership each year to make sure the standards are being maintained. If a member fails to comply with the rules of the scheme, their membership is withdrawn.
In addition, regular traceability checks are carried out, from supermarket shelf right back to the farm, to ensure that everyone involved in the production of Freedom Food labelled products has been approved by the scheme.
By selecting Freedom Food products, it is possible to improve the welfare of animals raised and bred for consumption, and those which are used to produce dairy products and eggs.
Source:
The UK Agriculture information resource online
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