We are campaigning for clear food labelling that shows method of production - in which sort of system the animal was farmed.

Food labelling should and can be simple but is often made to be quite confusing. Across food products there are so many different codes, labels and standards that it can be difficult to know what the label means for animal welfare. Labels may say ‘farm assured’, ‘locally sourced’, ‘farm fresh’ – but none of these really guarantee animals have been reared in higher welfare systems.

So here’s a quick guide of some of the things to look out for on your label:

Egg labelling

Hens’ eggs (Grade A) must, by law, carry a stamp with a number indicating whether they have been produced in an organic, free-range, barn or cage system. The egg boxes must clearly state: 'eggs from caged hens', 'barn eggs' or 'free range'.

Any other grade of hens’ egg or other egg products (e.g. liquid egg and eggs as ingredients in other food products) are still not required to be labelled by law. Eggs laid by other species of poultry (e.g. ducks, quail or geese) are not required to be labelled either.

Country of Origin

Country of origin appears on the label of some food products. In the EU, it is a legal requirement to label beef and veal by the country where the animal was born, the country of fattening and the country of slaughter.

It is also a legal requirement to label the country of fattening and the country of slaughter on fresh or frozen meat from pigs, sheep and poultry.

It would be more helpful if the label also had to show the country where the animal was born, as is the case for beef and veal, it will indicate to some extent whether there has been long distance live animal transport, the length of the food chain and the number of different countries involved.

Quality Assurance Standards

Minimum standards for the protection of laying hens, meat chickens, pigs, and calves are set by UK legislation but assurance schemes in the UK provide higher standards voluntarily. A framework of quality assurance standards should ensure these minimum requirements are maintained, offer protection for those animals that are not covered by legislation (for example turkeys, ducks, dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep), and in some cases ensure higher standards for welfare are provided.

Below are some examples of Quality Assurance standards in the UK and what they mean for animal welfare.

Know your labels