Welfare Science

Animal Welfare in Food Labelling Policy

Food labelling that communicates animal welfare standards helps consumers make informed choices and rewards higher-welfare production.

Key Facts

Method of production labelling (free-range, barn, cage) is mandatory for eggs in the EU but not other species
UK labelling review post-Brexit considers mandatory welfare labelling for meat products
Consumer eye-tracking studies show welfare labels are often missed on busy packaging
Tiered labelling systems (1-star to 4-star) outperform single certification logos in consumer understanding
Front-of-pack welfare labelling increases willingness-to-pay for higher-welfare products

Welfare Considerations

Effective welfare labelling creates market incentives for producers to improve standards. Without clear, comparable labelling, consumers cannot make welfare-conscious choices and market signals for improvement are absent. Mandatory, standardised welfare labelling for all animal products is one of the highest-leverage policy interventions for welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for mandatory method-of-production labelling for all animal products
Engage with food labelling consultations in your country
Ask retailers about their welfare labelling plans and ambitions
Choose products with the clearest and most meaningful welfare information on the label