Consumer conscience on the increase
retailers as demand for ethical produce rises.
New research by the RSPCA, together with market research company Mori, suggests consumers' attitudes to the meat industry are changing as people become more discerning about the animal-derived products they consume.
More than half of us are willing to pay over the odds for animal-friendly produce and 73 per cent believe that retailers should only use meat suppliers with a proven animal welfare record.
And qualitative research by marketing agency Clark, MacKay and Walpole, suggest that consumers are voting with their purses to register social preferences and affect change in the food retail industry.
Waitrose, who won the RSPCA Food Retailer of the Year award last week, has already started to tap into consumer demand for healthier meat products that deliver standards on animal wellbeing.
"We know our customers are interested in food provenance, we are finding this on a daily basis through customer feedback," said Waitrose media and communications manager Gill Smith.
"Waitrose is starting from a high base because we have already switched to stocking only free-range eggs, and this policy has been rolled out across the board to include egg-based ingredients in our ready meals as well," she added.
And the firm's present advertising campaign, showing a benchmark pig farm, underlines their commitment to sound animal husbandry while capitalising on current consumer trends.
Bolstered by food scares surrounding meat and poultry over the last 20 years, consumer concern for factory farming methods is at an all-time high.
The advent of more welfare-friendly meats such as those produced under the RSPCA's Freedom Food labels have served to raise customer confidence, and various British Quality Assurance schemes have contributed to the development of a more welfare-friendly meat sector.
But the niche market has potential to grow further.
The mounting acceptance of meat as part of healthy eating regime, and the growth of the low-carb diet, has opened up a number of possibilities for the animal-friendly sector.
Retailers are taking on new quality standard schemes for beef, lamb, pork, chicken and dairy, represented by the Little Red Tractor logo because they guarantee Assured Food Standards.
And in August 2004 the EU approved a revised quality standard mark for pork, bacon and ham. The move followed negotiations between the British Pig Executive (BPEX) and the EU. According to BPEX, the aim of the mark was to make labelling clear and unambiguous.
