Animals For Supermarkets Suffering Unnecessarily

Mon, 03 Dec 2007
 
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A large number of farm animals including the majority of Britain’s Christmas turkeys, are being fattened in cruel conditions, according to new research.

A survey by Compassion in World Farming revealed over 80 per cent of turkeys sold this year by UK supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, will have been intensively reared, while around 90 per cent of chickens sold in UK stores were found to be factory farmed.

The group also criticised some supermarkets for continuing to sell pig meat from animals kept in confined areas.

Despite the criticism, the group said overall, supermarkets were improving their welfare policies and practices. One of the biggest improvements highlighted was the trend towards selling eggs from free range instead of battery hens.

Marks and Spencer was named compassionate supermarket of the year after coming top of its supermarket league, while Sainsbury’s scooped the titles of best volume retailer and most improved supermarket.

Supermarket group Asda received the lowest score of the eight chains surveyed, although CIWF said the results from its 2005 survey due to Asda not participating this year.

Somerfield came second from bottom, with the CIWF saying the chain "scored worse than any other participating supermarket on the welfare of laying hens, pigs, turkey, ducks and geese and also scored less well on the welfare of dairy cattle ."

Meanwhile Tesco, Britain’s largest supermarket chain, came in fifth place. According to CIWF the supermarket giant "has not committed to ensuring its boxed eggs come from cage-free birds ."

CIWF's director of research, Lesley Lambert, commented: "Although we have seen some real progress in terms of farm animal welfare, it must not be forgotten that the majority of farm animals are reared intensively with serious impacts on their welfare."

The group’s findings were based on stores' animal welfare policies for issues such as the rearing, slaughter and transportation of cattle, poultry, pigs and fish .

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