UK adults seek clarity on the source of their food

13-Dec-2022 - Last updated on 13-Dec-2022 at 13:06 GMT

Consumers have become increasingly aware of the source of their food

More than two-thirds of consumers want to know where their food comes from, according to new research by RSPCA Assured.

The research found that 70% of UK adults were concerned about the origins of the food they eat, while a further 69% said that farm animal welfare as a key issue for them.

In response to these concerns, RSPCA Assured has launched a new online resource to encourage businesses to source higher welfare foods.

Links to producers

Designed with foodservice in mind, the resource links businesses with RSPCA Assured producers. It also provides users with step-by-step guides on how to become a member and start using the Assured label.

RSPCA Assured head of commercial partnerships Cliona Duffy said: “It lists hundreds of suppliers of RSPCA Assured products across the country, from those offering raw ingredients, such as eggs and chicken, to processed products like liquid eggs, ice-cream and mayonnaise.

“So, we hope that both resources will give the foodservice industry the boost it needs to better develop higher welfare supply chains and give those already sourcing higher welfare products the tools to market them and reap the benefits.”

Animal welfare

The RSPCA Assured scheme was set up nearly 30 years ago to help improve the welfare of farm animals and give consumers a “greater welfare choice”.

More than 12% of UK farm animals are now farmed under the RSPCA Assured scheme, including more than 90% of Scottish farmed salmon and free-range eggs.

Meanwhile, the public image of meat has slowly improved despite another challenging year full of crises and rising input costs. With the hype surrounding alternative proteins dying down, how as the meat industry fared this past year?

Meanwhile, calls to end ‘fundamentally unfair’ compensation rules for producers affected by the UK’s longest and largest outbreak of bird flu have been made by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee.