RSPCA Hot Topic Award

In previous years we have run the People's Choice Award which has served us well but this year we have changed the format and we are finding out what consumers think through the new RSPCA Hot Topic Award.

We have chosen four topical animal welfare issues that we want to be addressed. We will be asking them to vote for the main issue they want their supermarket to work on and improve.

Voting will be open for three weeks from Monday 11th June and will close on Wednesday 4th July 2012.

The issue that receives the most votes will then be developed into a short series of questions by the RSPCA Farm Animals department and these will be sent to each of the supermarkets. We will ask them to tell us what they are doing to improve this area of animal welfare. The supermarkets will have three weeks to submit their entries for the RSPCA Hot Topic Award. Closing date Friday 27 July.

The panel of RSPCA and independent judges will then meet in August and assess the entries received. The winner will be revealed at the Awards Ceremony on 24 October along with all the other award winners.

The issues we will be asking the public to vote on are:

• Labelling
  I want my supermarket to provide clear information on their packaging about how animals are farmed
• Live transport
  I want my supermarket to reduce the need for live transport of live animals
• Dairy
  I want my supermarket to improve the lives of dairy cows and their calves by supporting the National Dairy Cow Welfare Strategy
• Freedom Food
  I want my supermarket to stock Freedom Food accredited products across the full range of animal produce available