Retailer Marks & Spencer has today announced that it has commissioned the RSPCA to audit every single M&S dairy farm to RSPCA Assured Standards.
It has also committed to publishing the results on its website for the public to see.
In a full announcement made today (31 March), Director of Food Andy Adcock confirmed that all 40 UK farms (known as the M&S Milk Pool) will be audited by RSPCA assessors as soon as possible.
It comes as news that animal welfare charity Animal Equality UK took photographs of M&S supplier JF Cobb & Sons, a dairy farm near Dorchester.
The photographs, of dairy calves in rows of pens, eventually went to the national newspapers, which ran headlines describing conditions the calves were being kept in as “shocking”.
However, a Dorset County Council Trading Standards spokeswoman said: “Our animal health team has carefully considered all the allegations made, visited and inspected the premises concerned and are satisfied that there is no evidence of any breaches of welfare requirements.”
'Significant strengthening'
The retailer has adopts RSPCA Assured Standards as its minimum requirement which will see the farms assessed annually.
RSPCA Assured Standards are the highest welfare standards in the industry and cover all aspects of milk production including calf rearing, cow welfare, accommodation, health planning, transport, feed and grazing.
The farms will still be required to be Red Tractor Assured (the current minimum standard) and M&S will continue its own twice yearly Select Farm Assurance audits.
Andy Adcock, M&S Director of Food, said the move is a 'significant strengthening' of its animal welfare standards.
“We are already recognised by leading animal charities but are always looking to improve and RSPCA Assured is the best in the business,” said Mr Adcock.
“Very few farms operate to that level of animal welfare and adoption of these standards will set M&S dairy farms apart – and that’s what our customers want and expect from us.”
