Marks & Spencer has commissioned the UK's national animal cruelty prevention association (RSPCA) to audit the retailer's dairy farms to the body's assured standards. The company has also committed to publishing the results on its website.
M&S director of food Andy Adcock confirmed that all 40 of the retailer's UK farms will be audited as soon as possible.
RSPCA assured standards are the highest welfare standards in the industry in the UK and cover all aspects of milk production including calf rearing, cow welfare, accommodation, health planning, transport, feed and grazing.
M&S also intends to continue to carry out its own twice-yearly select farm assurance audits.
“Very few farms operate to that level of animal welfare and adoption of these standards will set M&S dairy farms apart – and that’s what our customers want and expect from us”, Adcock said.
M&S pays its farmers one of the highest prices of any high-street store or supermarket.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Gavin Ryan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
