According to Flemish Animal Welfare Minister Ben Wiets, the new animal welfare label “Better for Animals” (Beter voor dieren) will be found on pork this year, while the poultry and beef sectors will receive the label in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
The label was developed by a non-profit organization called the Association for the Promotion of Farm Animal Welfare and is a response to Minister Wittes' request to develop a system aimed at improving and monitoring the welfare of animals in the food chain in Flanders. To do this, the non-profit organization prepares specifications for farmers, transporters and slaughterhouses, and develops a system to monitor their compliance. A structural collaboration is being developed with the sector, independent scientists and the Peter Levin Organization, which runs a similar label in the Netherlands.
The mark is awarded to products that go the extra mile to care for the animal beyond legal requirements, for example: avoiding unnecessary transport, providing extra enrichment or giving animals extra space.
The quality mark has three grades: limited extra efforts receive a plus, greater efforts receive a two plus and a plus three when the product exceeds legal requirements. The specifications and standards for what each plus sign represents are still under development.
January 23, 2024/Welt/Belgium.
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