Domino's and JD Wetherspoon defend animal welfare policies
The global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report provides an annual review of how the world’s 99 leading food companies manage their supply chains.
McDonald’s and Greggs were the only foodservice companies ranked in Tier 2, demonstrating a ‘strong commitment' to improving animal welfare.
Mitchells & Butlers achieved a Tier 3 ranking, meaning that its policies are ‘established’ but there is still ‘work to be done’.
Tier 5 brands, which showed 'limited evidence' of taking action to improve standards, included KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and Burger King’s parent company Restaurant Brands International.
Making improvements
Domino’s Pizza and JD Wetherspoon ranked in the lowest tier (Tier 6). The report said there was ‘no evidence’ that animal welfare was on their business agenda.
Katie Walker-Arnott, a spokesperson for Domino's, told BigHospitality the chain audited all its meat suppliers to ensure they met the relevant welfare standards, but was developing stricter policies around transportation and antibiotic use.
“We continue to take steps to improve standards...and are committed to providing more information going forward, so all our stakeholders are aware of the measures we are taking in this important area," said Walker-Arnott.
JD Wetherspoon said it was working with both the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) and the RSPCA to improve standards.
“The company is exploring higher welfare sourcing opportunities, in particular, for pigs and cattle," said Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon.
Wider progress
The BBFAW report, compiled in collaboration with Compassion in World Farming, World Animal Protection and investment firm Coller Capital, found that the number of food companies committed to improving welfare policies has more than doubled in the last five years.
Sixty-five per cent of firms surveyed in the report have now published targets on farm animal welfare, up from 26 per cent in 2012.
However, foodservice as a whole continues to lag behind other sectors such as retail, with Marks & Spencer and Waitrose both ranking in Tier 1 for their policies.
