Waitrose’s recent initiative marks a significant leap in animal welfare for its Italian continental meats.
- The retailer has ensured its Parma ham, mortadella, and prosciutto are now produced without confinement.
- This advancement places Waitrose ahead of traditional practices where animal welfare standards were lower for continental meats compared to British ones.
- The collaboration with The Compleat Food Group has been pivotal, making Waitrose the first recipient of a Good Pig Award in Italy.
- With over 50% of continental meats now from higher welfare sources, consumer concerns about animal welfare are being addressed.
Waitrose has made a pioneering move by ensuring that all its own-brand Italian continental meat products are produced to the highest animal welfare standards. This development represents a substantial shift from traditional practices, where animal welfare standards for continental meats have historically lagged behind those of British meats.
The company’s products, including Parma ham, mortadella, and prosciutto, are now manufactured without the confinement of animals, granting them more space to roam and socialise with the provision of deep straw bedding. This significant change enhances the quality of life for these animals.
This achievement is largely due to the long-term partnership with The Compleat Food Group, a relationship that enabled Waitrose to become the first Italian meat producer to win a Good Pig Award in 2016. Such recognition underscores the commitment to improving animal welfare in the food industry.
The retailer is also pursuing a commitment to continue raising animal welfare standards within its continental meat supply chains by 2025. As Jake Pickering, Senior Agriculture Manager at Waitrose, noted, “this represents a huge step forward for the welfare standards within our Italian breeding, growing, and finishing supply chains and means that well over 50% of our continental meat sales will now come from higher welfare pigs.”
Louise Valducci, Head of Food Business for Europe at Compassion in World Farming, expressed support for Waitrose’s efforts, highlighting growing consumer concern about animal welfare. As companies commit to cage-free production, they send a powerful message to the market that such compassion is both achievable and preferable at a larger scale.
This initiative by Waitrose reflects a broader trend towards improved animal welfare standards in the food industry, meeting evolving consumer expectations.
