Objective 8: supporting ethical practice and animal welfare

How to check products' ethical and welfare standards.

Objective 8 of the Bristol Eating Better Award outlines 4 actions you can do to make sure that: 

• farmers and workers producing food are getting paid a fair price
• any animal products you buy are from farms that treat their animals well

For more detailed guidance about the actions see the pdf guidance document (904 KB) .   

Check your products' ethical and welfare standards  

With complex supply chains it's easy to feel removed from farmers, animals and the environment when buying food products. It's important to make sure that:

• the people producing our food are getting a fair deal
• the animals involved in the food system are treated well
• environmental standards are adhered to

This applies to UK and overseas food production. 

There are lots of labels and certifications you can look out for to help make more informed choices about the food you're buying. 

Eggs 

Ensure you buy free range eggs. A free range British Lion egg will have a code on it starting with '1'.

Organic eggs have even higher welfare standards for the hens than free range eggs. Their British Lion code starts with a ‘0'.

Visit the British Lion website Go to https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs (opens new window) to find out where to find these details on a British Lion egg. 

Meat

Look out for certifications such as:  

• Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor Assurance)  
• Farm Assured Welsh Livestock (FAWL)  
• Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)  
• Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) Northern Ireland  
• AHDB Beef and Lamb (for English beef and lamb)  
• Organic  
• RSPCA Assured  
• British Poultry Council Duck Assurance Scheme  
• SAI Global/EFSIS Assured Farm Venison Standard  
• British Quality Assured Pork Standard  
• Quality British Turkey, in association with Red Tractor

Fish

Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council's blue MSC label for confirmation that the fish is from a sustainable source:

Other products, including tea, coffee, sugar, cocoa and bananas

Look out for the FAIRTRADE certification mark. Fairtrade sets social, economic and environmental standards for the companies and farmers involved in the supply chain, ensuring that producers in the developing world are getting a fair deal and that trade is environmentally sustainable. 

Hints and tips to support ethical practice and animal welfare

• Find out what Fairtrade products are available and work with your suppliers to source as many Fairtrade products as you can. 
• Get involved with the South West Fair Trade Business Awards. 
• Learn what the different welfare assurance and certification labels mean and look out for them when placing orders. 
• Support British farmers because they adhere to some of the highest welfare standards in the world. 
• Tell customers what standards you're meeting to encourage them to look out for the same elsewhere. 

Page last reviewed: 3 October 2022