Food labelling for cattle products informs consumer welfare choices but requires standardisation to be meaningful and prevent misleading claims.
Food labelling creates the conditions for consumer-driven welfare improvement but only delivers welfare benefit when labels are meaningful, well-enforced, and understood by consumers. Weak labels that most farms can easily achieve provide no welfare premium. Strong labels with verified welfare outcomes, independent auditing, and clear consumer communication create genuine market incentives for welfare investment. Label standardisation is urgently needed.