Supermarkets applauded for animal welfare

The award for Compassionate Supermarket of the Year (2007) was awarded to Marks & Spencer this weekend.

Earlier this year, the supermarket announced it would no longer sell white veal – and would only offer rose veal to customers beginning in 2008.

Free-range eggs have been the baseline option at the store for the last 10 years.

The accolades were based on a biannual survey on welfare policies and practices from the animal rights group Compassion in World Farming.

Sainsburys received two awards – Best Volume Retailer and Most Improved Supermarket. The latter distinction highlighted a 28% improvement from the 2005 survey on the supermarket’s part.

The full results of the survey are available here.

Supermarkets applauded for animal welfare

The award for Compassionate Supermarket of the Year (2007) was awarded to Marks & Spencer this weekend.

Earlier this year, the supermarket announced it would no longer sell white veal – and would only offer rose veal to customers beginning in 2008.

Free-range eggs have been the baseline option at the store for the last 10 years.

The accolades were based on a biannual survey on welfare policies and practices from the animal rights group Compassion in World Farming.

Sainsburys received two awards – Best Volume Retailer and Most Improved Supermarket. The latter distinction highlighted a 28% improvement from the 2005 survey on the supermarket’s part.

The full results of the survey are available here.

Is online food not as fresh?

A new report suggests that while ordering the weekly shop online may be convenient, the food the consumer receives is not as fresh.

Which? conducted a survey of four major supermarkets in the UK - Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose - buying ten common items.

The report found that the best-before dates on the food bought was earlier than what was available that same day in the stores.

Of the "snapshot" research, the best-before dates on plums, carrots, potatoes and salad were more than a day earlier than the same produce available in the shops. For a loaf of bread, in one case, there was a loaf of bread with a use-by date of more than eight days later than that bread ordered online.

Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsburys said that they employ shoppers which aim to pick the best produce for online customers. Tesco also said that its customers can indicate minimum best-before dates. Asda did not respond.

Is online food not as fresh?

A new report suggests that while ordering the weekly shop online may be convenient, the food the consumer receives is not as fresh.

Which? conducted a survey of four major supermarkets in the UK - Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose - buying ten common items.

The report found that the best-before dates on the food bought was earlier than what was available that same day in the stores.

Of the "snapshot" research, the best-before dates on plums, carrots, potatoes and salad were more than a day earlier than the same produce available in the shops. For a loaf of bread, in one case, there was a loaf of bread with a use-by date of more than eight days later than that bread ordered online.

Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsburys said that they employ shoppers which aim to pick the best produce for online customers. Tesco also said that its customers can indicate minimum best-before dates. Asda did not respond.

Sainsbury’s own-label tea to go Fairtrade

Sainsbury’s has announced today that its range of own-broad teas will be converted to Fairtrade.

The switchover, expected to be completed over the next three years, will make Sainsbury’s the largest retailer of Fairtrade tea in the UK, according to Justin King, ceo of the company. The first tea to be made Fairtrade is Sainsbury’s Red Label.

The tea move follows an earlier pledge by Sainsbury’s to make all of its bananas Fairtrade, which was completed this quarter.

King announced Sainsbury’s plans at the announcement of Sainsbury’s second quarter trading statement, which covers the 16 weeks to 6 October. Total sales for the retailer were up 4.7%, excluding fuel purchases. Like-for-like sales were up 3.1%, excluding fuel, which makes this the eleventh consecutive quarter that Sainsbury’s has enjoyed this growth.

Sainsbury’s own-label tea to go Fairtrade

Sainsbury’s has announced today that its range of own-broad teas will be converted to Fairtrade.

The switchover, expected to be completed over the next three years, will make Sainsbury’s the largest retailer of Fairtrade tea in the UK, according to Justin King, ceo of the company. The first tea to be made Fairtrade is Sainsbury’s Red Label.

The tea move follows an earlier pledge by Sainsbury’s to make all of its bananas Fairtrade, which was completed this quarter.

King announced Sainsbury’s plans at the announcement of Sainsbury’s second quarter trading statement, which covers the 16 weeks to 6 October. Total sales for the retailer were up 4.7%, excluding fuel purchases. Like-for-like sales were up 3.1%, excluding fuel, which makes this the eleventh consecutive quarter that Sainsbury’s has enjoyed this growth.

Marks and Spencer says no to white veal and calves liver

For animal welfare reasons, M&S says as of tomorrow it will no longer sell imported white veal, and calves liver will be banned not long after, as it is produced from animals reared for white veal.

Beginning in January 2008, the supermarket will only sell “high-welfare UK rose veal”. It says that calves reared for UK-produced rose veal have a natural diet, drink whole milk, and live together in well-lit barns with straw bedding.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Compassion in World Farming support these living conditions for the calves.

According to Vegetarians’ International Voice for Animals (VIVA), all veal raised for consumption are male “cast-offs” from the dairy industry, since the they do not produce milk. In order to produce the milky-white coloured meat that M&S is banning, the calves are fed an iron-deficient diet and kept in small crates, which VIVA says leads to a high occurrence of infectious diseases and strange behaviour patterns.

Marks and Spencer says no to white veal and calves liver

For animal welfare reasons, M&S says as of tomorrow it will no longer sell imported white veal, and calves liver will be banned not long after, as it is produced from animals reared for white veal.

Beginning in January 2008, the supermarket will only sell “high-welfare UK rose veal”. It says that calves reared for UK-produced rose veal have a natural diet, drink whole milk, and live together in well-lit barns with straw bedding.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Compassion in World Farming support these living conditions for the calves.

According to Vegetarians’ International Voice for Animals (VIVA), all veal raised for consumption are male “cast-offs” from the dairy industry, since the they do not produce milk. In order to produce the milky-white coloured meat that M&S is banning, the calves are fed an iron-deficient diet and kept in small crates, which VIVA says leads to a high occurrence of infectious diseases and strange behaviour patterns.