9 March 2010

The RSPCA Paw of Approval has received a big ‘thumbs up’ from consumer watchdog Choice, as part of their review of food labelling schemes.

A CHOICE panel, comprising food and sustainability experts, scrutinised the claims behind 10 of Australia’s most recognised health and sustainability logos, including RSPCA Approved Farming. 

The RSPCA welcomed the recommendation from Choice saying it provided a further guarantee to consumers who are seeking animal welfare friendly food products.

“We know that consumers are increasingly baffled by food labels, with recent market research revealing one quarter of shoppers are confused and a third of shoppers don’t trust labels at all,” said RSPCA CEO Heather Neil.

“Through RSPCA Approved Farming, we want to take the guess work away from consumers who are seeking higher welfare alternatives. By buying products stamped with the RSPCA Paw of Approval, people can trust that the RSPCA has done all the necessary checks to ensure the animals  have been farmed humanely.

“The fact that Choice has evaluated our Scheme and is recommending it to consumers further highlights that the RSPCA is a brand that people can trust. Importantly, it tells consumers that when they purchase an RSPCA Approved food product they can have faith that they are making a difference to farm animal welfare.”

The RSPCA Paw of Approval can be found on eggs and pork products that are farmed to the RSPCA’s high animal welfare standards. The RSPCA has just released chicken meat standards and is hoping to announce its first meat chicken producer soon.

“RSPCA eggs and pork are already in around 1,100 stores nationally but we’d like to see higher welfare food on every supermarket shelf in Australia. We know that consumers are looking for it.

“Hens, pigs and meat chickens raised on RSPCA Approved farms have the freedom to express their full range of natural behaviours. They are not confined in cages or sow stalls and RSPCA assessors visit and monitor our farms regularly to ensure they continue to meet our high animal welfare standards.”

For more information on RSPCA Approved Farming visit www.rspca.org.au/approvedfarming

To view the Choice Report visit www.choice.com.au