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Press release: Thursday, 25 October 2012

A brand new higher welfare pork luncheon meat has been awarded one of the country’s most prestigious animal accolades at the RSPCA’s Good Business Awards ceremony last night (October 24).

Sainsbury’s was honoured with the Engagement Award for coming up with a twist on canned meat – that is easy on the conscience and pocket. The potted meat product is made with outdoor reared pork from pigs inspected to the RSPCA’s higher welfare standards.

“This is a real example of a retailer bringing affordable higher welfare food to a mass market,” said Geoff Spriegel, RSPCA judge and independent food consultant.

“It just goes to show that higher welfare food isn’t expensive, specialist products that are out of most people’s price range. We have seen the tide turning in recent years, as better welfare food becomes more common, and affordable,” he added.

The awards, which have been running since 2005, are judged by a panel of industry and animal welfare experts and celebrate companies that put animal welfare at the heart of their business practises.

Burning issues

This year also marked the launch of the brand new Hot Topic award, which puts power to decide what animal welfare issue matters most, back into the hands of the consumer.

The public were presented with four topical animal welfare issues and asked to vote on which mattered most to them. Supermarkets were then asked to show how they were working on this issue, and what they were doing to improve the welfare of animals involved.

Live transport was voted the ‘Hot Topic’ for 2012, and the Co-operative was awarded this for having an average transport time of less than hour.

Winning formula

The highest accolade of the evening among the supermarkets went to Sainsbury’s for Retailer of the Year. The judges were impressed with their all round commitment to higher welfare food and good customer communication.

Edge and Sons, a traditional local butcher in Wirral, won best independent retailer, while organic food delivery company Abel & Cole and cured meat producer The Bath Pig Company were both highly commended.

Lussmans Fish and Grill restaurants in St Albans and Hertford won the independent restaurant award, while Cafe Spice Namaste in London was highly commended.

The British Larder, Suffolk, won the pubs category for its commitment to animal welfare. The Navigation Inn at Buxworth was highly commended in this category. Eco Cuisine – an ethical catering company in London, won best caterer.

Notes to editors:

Judges for the food category are journalist and TV presenter Richard Johnson, independent food consultant Dr Geoff Spriegel and Prof John Webster, Professor Emeritus at Bristol University and Alice Clark, senior RSPCA farm animal scientist.

For more information about the awards, please visit www.rspcagoodbusinessawards.com. To find out more about ethical food and fashion, go to www.goodthings.org.uk