Co-op to switch to 100% outdoor bred pork
The Co-op has announced that from July all of its own-brand fresh pork, bacon, sausage, gammon and ham will be sourced from 100% outdoor-bred pigs on RSPCA Assured farms.
The move is hoped to reinforce the retailer’s animal welfare credentials and means that all pigs within its producer group will be born outdoors and raised in well-ventilated, spacious straw barns to strict RSPCA welfare standards on farms across the UK.
By partnering with UK pig producer, Tulip Ltd, the Co-op has been able to establish an RSCPA Assured, outdoor-bred pork supply chain offering what it claims to be total traceability from farm to fork, in which sows are free from confinement and pigs are able to fully express their natural behaviours.
Furthermore, the 100% outdoor promise is set to be rolled out across both standard and premium Co-op ranges.
Jo Whitfield, retail CEO of the Co-op, said: “Our customers and members shop with us because they know we are as passionate as they are about animal welfare, so we’re delighted to be able to bring such a pioneering approach to our pig offering.
“The highest animal welfare standards should not just be the preserve of top-tier products and we want to ensure that the very best quality British pork is available at everyday affordable prices. We will be working hard with innovative and passionate British farmers who share our principles, to provide exceptional quality pork produce with a conscience.”
Clive Brazier, CEO RSPCA Assured, also commented.
“Thanks to the Co-op many more pigs will have a better life reared to RSPCA welfare standards,” he said. “And not only that, but the Co-op is helping bust the perception that higher welfare food always means a higher retail price.
“Shoppers can be confident that, no matter what their budget is, all own-brand fresh pork products in the Co-op will be RSPCA Assured. This is a major step forward for helping improve pig welfare and we hope other retailers will follow suit.”
The announcement follows the Co-op’s previous show of support for British agriculture, which, last May saw it switch all of its own-brand fresh meat to 100% British, alongside a further £1bn investment into sourcing home-grown meat and fresh produce.
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