Shoppers having their effect on welfare in pig industry

Its food-certification arm has announced an increase in sales of pork and pork products with the Freedom Food label for the second year running.

Sales in 2010 were 62 per cent higher than in 2009, meaning 400,000 more pigs got the extra space and stimulation required. And for the first quarter of 2011, sales are 116 per cent up on the first quarter of 2010.

Leigh Grant, chief executive of Freedom Food, said: “More than a quarter of all British farmed pigs are now benefiting from the RSPCA’s welfare standards, which is great progress. Shoppers really do have the power to bring about positive changes through what they buy.”

Sainsbury’s is the largest retailer of Freedom Food pork, followed by The Co-operative and Tesco. The standards also cover chicken, turkey, eggs, salmon, duck and dairy products.

Freedom Food this week released figures showing a basket of meat and sausages, fish and fishcakes, which cost £17.20 with no higher-welfare assurances, was £22.54 with the Freedom Food stamp on it all. Sausages cost 43p each instead of 26p. The difference in chicken breasts was £3 a kilo. For whole chickens of the same size it was 86p and chef Antony Worrall Thompson commented: “The price of a lottery ticket is a small one to pay for good farm animal welfare.”