From the WSPA:

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare organizations, today released the results of a Humane Food Survey ranking the top 25 U.S. supermarket chains by annual sales. This is the second year WSPA conducted a survey of 200 stores in 34 states. A comparison of results from 2008 to 2009 shows an impressive 23 percent increase in humane food offerings in stores.

According to Dena Jones, U.S. programs director for WSPA, “The survey results indicate that people are becoming more sensitive to the cruel and unsustainable methods used to raise farm animals and are seeking humane alternatives when they shop, regardless of cost. Consumer demand influences what stores offer and it is encouraging to see grocers responding by increasing humane food options even in a recession.”

The majority of U.S. animals raised for meat, eggs and dairy spend their lives confined in factory-style farms. Generally animals raised under humane food programs are given access to sunlight, fresh air, and freedom of movement. Levels of animal welfare can be identified by a variety of labels on food packaging, which are often misleading to consumers. WSPA rates food labels such as “free range,” “USDA organic” and “cage free” in terms of the way the animals raised for food are treated and aims to educate consumers about what food labels to choose and what ones to avoid.

The 2009 survey recorded products in four categories: dairy, eggs, unprocessed meat and poultry, and processed meat and poultry (bacon, ham, hot dogs). Stores were ranked using a point system based on the quality and variety of the food products available on the shelves.

Whole Foods scored the highest by far, offering twice as many humanely labeled products per store as the two companies tied for second — Shaw’s Supermarkets and Publix Super Markets. Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest food retailer, scored near the bottom. The lowest in the survey was Save-A-Lot Food Stores with no humanely labeled products found in its stores. For complete store rankings and survey results, click here.

In conjunction with the survey today, WSPA launched the first searchable database for humane foods at the top 25 U.S. grocery stores. To view the database, click here. Consumers can search their local store to find humane food products and see how their store compares to others. Jones explains, “Everyday we have the opportunity to impact the quality of animal’s lives with our food choices, and this database provides the facts people need to make ethical decisions and find humanely raised products.”

Through partnership with more than 1,000 organizations worldwide, WSPA strives to create a world where animal welfare matters and animal cruelty ends. WSPA is working with organizations throughout the world to phase out intensive farming and to promote more humane food alternatives among retailers and consumers. Visit WSPA USA’s blog at wspa.typepad.com/compassionateplanet/food.

About Food Label Claims

• Good – These claims cover one aspect of animal care and a third party does not verify compliance with the standards: “Cage free” (eggs); “Free range” (eggs, chicken, duck, goose, turkey); “Grass fed” (dairy, beef, lamb).
• Better – These feature a higher level of animal welfare, but standards are either not verified by a third party or cover only a limited aspect of animal care: “Free range” (beef, bison, lamb, pork); “Pasture raised” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork); “USDA organic” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork).
• Best – These cover multiple aspects of animal care and an independent third party verifies compliance with the standards: “American Humane Certified” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork); “Animal Welfare Approved” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork); “Certified Humane” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork).

Buyer Beware

• “No antibiotics used”/”No hormones administered” – The government does not conduct testing to verify these claims. Hormones are prohibited in the raising of pigs and poultry, so this claim is meaningless for pork, chicken and turkey. “No antibiotics used” suggests animals were not raised on a factory farm, but by itself does not indicate high animal welfare.
• “Natural” – This has no relevance to animal welfare. It merely indicates that the product was minimally processed and contains no dyes or preservatives.
• “Naturally raised” – The USDA has established a voluntary definition for this. It indicates that the animal was raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones and had been given only vegetarian feed. It does not require freedom of movement and access to fresh air and sunlight for the animal.

Thoughts?

Images courtesy of the WSPA

1. Volunteer your time helping animals in need. Numerous opportunities exist for individuals, couples and families who want to volunteer some of their vacation time helping animals. WSPA offers a list of volunteer vacations in 30 countries on the Compassionate Travel Web site.

2. Avoid attractions like bullfights and roadside zoos but do visit nature reserves, animal sanctuaries or rehabilitation centers. There is nothing like the thrill of spotting an animal in its natural habitat or learning the story of a rehabilitated animal that will soon be set free. In addition, the reasonable entrance fees benefit the animals at the reserves.

3. Try wild dolphin or whale watching. These eco-friendly excursions enable tourists to become immersed in the natural world of marine mammals without threatening the health and welfare of wild species.

4. Avoid animal rides or transport that could cause suffering. Animal-loving tourists often inadvertently perpetuate the suffering of animals (elephants, camels, etc.) who may have been working for hours, with no access to shelter, food or water.

5. Don’t buy wildlife souvenirs or products that may have endangered animals. The purchase of illegal souvenirs such as ivory, tortoiseshell, fur and horns undermines the conservation efforts of local governments.

Read more about the launch of CompassionateTravel.org from their press release of the launch below.

CompassionateTravel.org Shows Travelers How to Help Animals on Their Next Trip

BOSTON—June 2, 2009–Every summer many families make trips to swim with dolphins at beachside resorts, but a recent report says many of these popular tourist attractions are filled with wild dolphins that suffered terrible trauma during capture and endure severe and persistent stress due to constant forced human interaction. The report, “Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity,” was co-published by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and The Humane Society of the United States.

“The captive display industry operates under the veil of conservation and education yet the evidence is clear that these complex and intelligent animals are being exploited for human entertainment,” said Sharanya Krishna Prasad, WSPA U.S. program officer. “We believe that the captive experience for marine mammals is so contrary to their natural experience that it should be rejected outright.”

Amid a growing number of swim-with-the-dolphins facilities being planned and built in developing countries to attract tourists, WSPA is working to educate travelers on the cruelty, neglect and abuse suffered by animals in the tourist industry. The organization has launched CompassionateTravel.org, which offers volunteer opportunities, guidelines, brochures and informational videos on how tourists can make their trips more animal-friendly. “Compassionate Planet,” the Web site’s companion blog, provides weekly updates to readers about unique vacation experiences and travel tips.

“Our hope is that by educating the consumer, demand for attractions that involve animal suffering will diminish,” said Dena Jones, WSPA’s U.S. program director. “By logging on to CompassionateTravel.org, everyone can learn some simple facts that will help make their next trip cruelty-free.”

Read the complete fourth edition of the “Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity.”

Media Contact: Meryl Bailey, WSPA: 617-896-9291, mbailey@wspausa.org
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The World Society for the Protection of Animals is the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare organizations, with a growing network of nearly 1000 affiliated societies in more than 150 countries. With consultative status at both the United Nations and the Council of Europe, WSPA is building a united global animal welfare movement to further our vision of a world where animal welfare matters, and animal cruelty ends. On the Web at wspa-usa.org.

Image courtesy of the WSPA.