German grocer Rewe has revealed plans to stop using meat from castrated pigs for its private-label fresh meat.
According to German news website Lebensmittelzeitung, Rewe has already informed suppliers that its latest move on animal welfare will come into force at the beginning of 2017.
Rival retailer Aldi announced in April it was to discontinue meat from castrated pigs from 2017.
"We already now have alternative methods which can save the animals from the painful procedure. Together with our suppliers, we are now starting a strategy process with the aim to ban the pork from our range," Dr Klaus Mayer, Rewe's director of quality management, said, as reported by just-food.com.
In a statement, the president of German Humane Society, Thomas Schaefer, expressed his disappointed that the change will not come into effect for another 18 months, but did add that nevertheless it is a giant stride towards animal protection in Germany.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Maike Baeumer. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
