Scottish Pig Industry and Scottish SPCA welcome welfare label commitment from Aldi
Scottish Pig Industry and Scottish SPCA welcome welfare label commitment from Aldi
The pig industry in Scotland and the Scottish SPCA, Scotland’s animal welfare charity, are welcoming a commitment from Aldi to support the industry’s pioneering welfare label.
Shoppers visiting Aldi, which has 46 stores located throughout Scotland, will from this week see ‘Specially Selected Pork Approved by the Scottish SPCA’ labels on all Scottish-origin fresh pork packs on the retailer’s shelves.
The announcement follows on-going discussions between representatives from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Aldi and Ayrshire-based Lynch Meats, most recently at the Royal Highland Show.
“Today’s announcement by Aldi is an excellent result for the Scottish pig industry,” said Jim McLaren, QMS chairman.“Consumers are increasingly stating that animal welfare is a priority when making purchase decisions and Aldi’s commitment will help to further boost awareness of our industry’s excellent welfare credentials.
“We look forward to other retailers seizing the opportunity to stock a brand which meets consumers’ requirements for provenance, quality assurance and welfare.”
Aldi is set to open a further four stores in Scotland in the months to come and currently has shops from Inverness to the Borders. The retaileris supplied by Lynch Quality Meats, which sources pork products from processors including Millers of Speyside and Robertson’s Fine Foods.
Richard Holloway, managing director for Aldi in Scotland, commented: “As part of an ongoing commitment to source quality Scottish produce, Aldi is proud to be working with QMS on this significant welfare initiative. Sourcing food with integrity is of utmost importance to Aldi, and our Scottish pork range is now well established across our Scottish stores.”
