Do labels on meat packaging actually mean something?

While the UK prides itself on some of the highest welfare standards, factory farming persists, with significant impact on both animals and the planet. With a complex web of labels and assurances on meat products, it’s easy to feel confused about what they actually mean for animals and the environment.

So what are the minimum standards for each label? Take a look at our cheat sheet for a quick overview of the welfare each one provides. This chart is specifically for pigs.

X = does not require this, tick = does require this, O = partially meets this requirement.

This reflects the minimum standards farms need to meet based on public information by the assurance scheme. The truth is that this information can be quite misleading and shoppers may be investing in factory farmed meat without really being aware of it. As a result of these choices, millions of animals continue to suffer in horriffic conditions in industrial facilities across the UK.

One major driver of this is JBS, one of the world’s largest meat producers, whose operations fuel factory farming on an enormous scale, contributing to poor animal welfare standards and accelerating environmental destruction.

In the UK, JBS owns two subsidiaries: Moy Park and Pilgrim’s Pride. Moy Park is a major poultry producer, and Pilgrim’s Pride handles pork production. Both companies make use of widely recognised welfare standards. Moy Park’s poultry farms, for example, are Red Tractor approved, while Pilgrim’s claims that 100% of their pigs are either RSPCA or Red Tractor assured. These labels imply minimum welfare requirements, but the reality is that many of these animals still endure harsh, crowded conditions typical of factory farming systems. For example, routine painful procedures like tail docking remain common, even in higher welfare systems.

When shopping for meat, it’s crucial to understand the welfare standards behind the labels. Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured can indicate certain protections, but they don’t eliminate the underlying issues of intensive farming that persist on many farms, even under these schemes.

Image credits: Blog page listing: Cindie Hansen/Unsplash; Blog main image: Leonardo Carvalho/Unsplash