GOOD NEWS FOR POULTRY!

Noble Foods, the UK’s biggest egg producer was awarded a Good Egg Award for their commitment to be 100% cage free by 2025.

The team at Noble Foods has been working hard with their equipment manufacturers, Vencomatic, to begin their conversion of enriched caged houses to a new, higher welfare aviary barn system. Watch the video to find out more...

Jean-Paul Michalski, Company Farms Director at Noble Foods, commented: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance to Noble Foods and we’re extremely proud of the CIWF Good Egg Award. Our aim is to be an example and deliver standards of care that significantly push the boundaries to set new industry goals for responsible farming.”

Both Aldi UK & Ireland and Lidl UK received a Good Egg Award for their cage-free commitments on both shell and ingredients eggs, demonstrating that good welfare practices really can come at affordable retail prices.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “As a responsible retailer, animal welfare is always a top priority for us. We are thrilled to receive the Good Egg Award as recognition of our continuing efforts to ensure the high welfare standards we insist on are upheld throughout the supply chain.”

Amali Bunter, Responsible Sourcing Manager, Lidl Great Britain added: "We are proud to be recognised by Compassion in World Farming for our commitment to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs by 2025. As part of Lidl's vision to 'make good food accessible to everyone' we are committed to working closely with our suppliers and the wider sector to achieve this goal, delivering greater transparency and higher welfare standards across our supply base."

Norwegian discount retailer REMA 1000 Norge AS and poultry producer, Norsk Kylling have worked collaboratively to successfully implement the higher welfare requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) – and are making it work economically for both businesses and consumers alike. They set an inspiring example to other businesses that are looking to move to the BCC standard and in recognition of this work they received a Good Chicken Award. Read the case study to find out more.

Kaia Andresen - Head of CSR, 2020, REMA 1000 said: "We are proud to be the first retailer in Norway to receive the Good Chicken Award and furthermore to be among a few in the world that already offers its customers chicken that meets the higher welfare criteria of the award. Our own brands Solvinge and Stangekylling are both highly ambitious in improving animal welfare and received the award in 2019 and 2020. The Good Chicken Award is recognition of the work we have done together and not least a motivation for the work that is to come."

In the US, Taco Bell received a Good Egg Award for meeting their target to be 100% cage-free on shell and ingredient eggs – already benefiting over 400,00 hens every year.

Missy Schaaphok, Senior Manager, Global Nutrition and Sustainability at Taco Bell said: “…We believe it is our responsibility to identify challenges that impact our supply chain and our customers, and to be a part of solutions, which is why we have been serving only 100% cage-free breakfast eggs since 2016 and egg ingredients since 2018. We look forward to continued supplier and stakeholder collaboration as we spearhead industry-leading efforts, all so that fans don’t have to choose between crave-ability and responsibility at Taco Bell.”

Leading Italian food service company, MARR is on their journey to be cage-free by 2025. Their aim is to eliminate both cages and combination systems from their supply chain - a welcome move in Italy where combi systems are commonly used. For this commitment they received a Good Egg Award.

And Cook picked up the only Good Turkey Award this year - add to their bulging trophy cabinet which already boasts a Good Egg Award (2011), Good Pig Award (2016) and Good Chicken Award (2017).

Tony Mayer, Head of Supply Chain at Cook said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive a Good Turkey Award. A great deal of work went on behind the scenes at COOK to get us here in time for Christmas 2020, and this award marks an important step in our journey as a responsible food business.”

INFLUENCING THE DAIRY SECTOR

2020 Good Farm Animal Welfare Award winners announced