ANSES Publishes Standards for Animal Welfare Labeling System – Scientific Approach to Assess Well-being

2024-05-09 22:03:29

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health (Anses) has just published the standards to develop a labeling system for products of animal origin with the aim of harmonizing the existing systems. One of its main characteristics is to base its evaluation on scientific indicators of well-being, measured directly in the animals, and not only in their reproductive conditions. Another aspect of its peculiarities is to take into account the living conditions of food animals, but also the living conditions of their ancestors.

The ANSES carried out an expert evaluation to offer actors in the livestock sector a scientific basis to support that labelling. In its guidelines, the Agency recommends adopting a system with five levels of fitness, from the best (A) to the lowest (E). Level E corresponds to the exclusive fulfillment of the requirements imposed by the European legislation regarding animal welfare, whether for life on the farm, transport or slaughter.

This classification, which is comprehensible to the consumer, should also help producers to gradually consider animal welfare.

Most current animal welfare labels only take into account breeding methods and the methods applied to improve them. “It’s not enough,” explains Anses expert coordinator Julie Chiron.

For this reason, the scientists of the ANSES working group recommend that the indicators to be evaluated refer mainly to the state of well-being of the animal, that is, based on measurements made on the animal itself.

Experts have identified the factors that can influence the well-being of an animal during each stage of its life: genetic characteristics, breeding techniques, practices and training of breeders, housing, feeding, measures taken for the good health of the -ensure animals, limits the use of painful practices, reproduction, transportation and sacrifice.

For each, the working group proposed an evaluation protocol based on scientific criteria, related to measurable indicators, as well as ways to improve animal welfare. For example, in relation to feeding, the proposed criteria are that the animal has easy access to food adapted to its species and age, and also that it can satisfy its behavioral needs related to the activity, such as grazing ruminants . digging holes for pigs or even picking and scratching for poultry.

“The work carried out is mainly aimed at French and European scientists and stakeholders who intend to build a labeling framework on animal welfare,” explains Florence Etoré, head of the unit in charge of assessing risks relating to animal welfare and health. “This framework must be adapted to each sector or category of target animals and built jointly with the various actors in the field: livestock professionals, animal protection societies and scientists.”

Finally, experts emphasize that all parties should accept the cost of improving animal welfare and its evaluation, given the ethical issues and the growing demand from society for better consideration of animal welfare.