Coop Netherlands has pledged to only source fresh meat with at least one star on the 'Beter Leven' quality mark within two years.
The move is part of the retailer's attempts to improve its sustainability standards.
Currently, the transition to more sustainable products does not include minced meat and tartare items, due to insufficient availability, it added.
Beter Leven Quality Mark
By 2023, regular chicken, pork, and beef will be replaced by meat that follows the requirements of the Animal Protection's Beter Leven quality mark, featuring at least one star.
This standard ensures that the animals have more space, distraction, and opportunities to exercise natural behaviour in comparison to animals from conventional livestock farming.
In addition to making its meat range more sustainable, the retailer is also working to get vegetable alternatives to meat onto its supermarket shelves.
Sustainable Product Range
Coop Netherlands has been working on making its range more sustainable for a number of years.
In collaboration with suppliers, the retailer has expanded its range of sustainable products in the categories of meat, meat products, and eggs, to include items produced with attention to animal welfare and eco-friendly practices.
Jasper de Jong, head of category management at Coop Netherlands, said, "The next step is that one star of the Beter Leven quality mark is the minimum for fresh meat at Coop. As a cooperative supermarket organisation, we are aware of our role in making the meat sector in the Netherlands more sustainable.
"In our philosophy, one star of the Beter Leven quality mark is really the lower limit for the complete meat range. Where possible, we even aim for two or three stars. We are both excited and proud to express this ambition and work towards achieving this goal by 2023."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
