A new animal-friendly food label called Beter voor Dieren (Better for Animals) will soon be introduced in Flanders, Belgium. The label aims to guide consumers to make more conscious and responsible choices when buying animal-based products and to shine a spotlight on the production methods of food companies in the region. The label will identify products from companies that have followed ethical procedures when raising animals for human consumption.
The Flemish Ministry of Animal Welfare introduced the policy in hopes of encouraging consumers to be more conscious of animal welfare issues in food production. The label intends to give producers who emphasize animal well-being an advantage in the market and push them to use more ethical methods of raising animals.
The new label could have a significant impact on consumer choices, as a recent EU survey found that 84 per cent of Europeans believe farm animals in their country should be better protected. Around 60 per cent of people said they would be willing to spend more for products from welfare-friendly farming systems.
The Better for Animals label will appear on food packaging from producers who have gone beyond the standard legal requirements for animal welfare during food production. Producers will be placed into one of three categories depending on how far they have gone beyond basic standards, with one, two, or three plus signs indicating the level of extra effort taken. Products bearing the new labels will be in stores by the end of the year, starting with pork products and followed by poultry and other animal products.
Flemish Animal Welfare Minister Ben Weyts stated, “For many Flemings, animals play a crucial role in their lives, and they also want their purchasing decisions to be guided by animal welfare. The Beter voor Dieren label makes this possible and even easy. At a glance, you will be able to see which producers are going the extra mile for animal welfare and which are not.”
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