Published 30/03/2009

Compassion in World Farming is pleased to see another retailer sticking to high standards of animal welfare despite the credit crunch.

Last week Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King declared: "Customers are more concerned today about quality issues with food than they were a year ago. Of course our Basics are growing strongly and the organics market is in decline, but fair trade is showing good growth and meat with high-end husbandry is performing like a rocket ship.

We are delivering for our loyal customers much better value for money while being true to all of the values we have always held," he added. Sainsbury's is already cage-free on all shell eggs in store and will be cage-free on all eggs used in own-label products by 2012.

Now Waitrose has announced it will introduce a new line of own-label products to appeal to shoppers on lower budgets. Again, good standards of animal welfare will still be key to the products. Managing Director of Waitrose, Mark Price said: "…we've achieved this despite maintaining the highest animal welfare standards. Our meat is 100% British. Our sausage rolls use outdoor bred pork. The quiche is made with free-range eggs."

Compassion's Food Business Manager, Rowen West-Henzell commented: "Retailers like Sainsbury's and Waitrose are demonstrating that the credit crunch is not a reason to do a u-turn on their values. By offering a range of higher welfare and affordable options they are helping their customers shop more intelligently in hard times. They are proving that it is possible to do the right thing by both their customers and the animals in their supply chain and we wish them every success with this strategy."

Further information

Both Sainsbury's and Waitrose are Compassion in World Farming Good Egg Award winners and Sainsbury's was awarded Best Volume Retailer and Most Improved Supermarket in our 2007 Compassionate Supermarket Awards.