Tiered welfare standards and labelling for UK pig meat could be introduced by the Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board following industry consultation.

Red Tractor has said the approach “could reduce audit cost and complexity for producers and simplify consumer choice” but has also pledged that it will only happen if the consultation shows there is “clear support” for the proposal.

The suggestion is that the assurance scheme should take a “modular approach to welfare standards for the pigs sector” which would be similar to the tiered model introduced for the poultry sector in 2020.

The proposed system would include two new voluntary tiers, each with its own dedicated logo:

  • Enhanced welfare: Pork from outdoor-bred or outdoor-reared pigs finished indoors, with more space and a solid, bedded lying area.
  • Free range: Pork from pigs with continuous outdoor access.

Respondents will also be consulted on some adjustments to the existing standards aimed at delivering reduced cost and complexity and ensuring core standards reflect best practice.

Red Tractor said that while its pigs technical advisory committee believed many outdoor and indoor producers already operated at the proposed standards, the consultation would help establish precise views. 

“Expanding the use of these tiers from poultry to pork aims to provide a clear, trusted guide for shoppers, reassuring them that Red Tractor-certified pork meets a range of high standards for welfare and distinguishing those that go beyond Red Tractor’s core standards of animal welfare,” it commented.

Red Tractor Pigs chairman Stewart Houston commented: “The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board believes the proposed labelling system would provide a clearer, simpler way for our members to communicate and differentiate their welfare standards. It could also enhance consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions by uniting existing tiers within the pork category under a suite of Red Tractor logos.

“The development of the voluntary ‘enhanced welfare’ and ‘free range’ tiers for pork also demonstrates Red Tractor’s swift delivery against the farm assurance review. The proposed system could remove the need for producers to juggle multiple assurance schemes, reducing audit burden and associated costs. Processors could also benefit from lower licence fees and simplified packaging by using a unified Red Tractor logo system.”

The consultation runs until 6 June, with the board promising it will only introduce the changes with “majority support from the UK pig industry”.

Red Tractor is also considering a new ‘certified standards plus’ tier, with flexible farrowing as the key criteria. It is seeking views from the pig sector on whether such a tier would “help support an industry-led transition to flexible farrowing, to avoid conflicting retailer requirements and reduce business uncertainty”.

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