Freedom Food products doubled in 2014

The number of products carrying the Freedom Food label nearly doubled last year.

Figures provided in the organisation’s annual report reveal that 1,866 products bore the Freedom Food label in 2014. This compared with 1,000 products in the previous year. Some 50 per cent of the United Kingdom’s laying hens are now farmed to Freedom Food’s standards, according to its report and financial statements for 2014.

Freedom Food was launched in 1994 by the RSPCA as an ethical food label promoting higher animal welfare. During 2014 it was announced that it was being rebranded as RSPCA Assured. Chief executive Jeremy Cooper said at the time that consumers would more easily recognise the new brand as an animal welfare mark. “We believe it will bring significant benefits to our members, retailers and to the food service industry - and help bring RSPCA welfare standards to millions more farm animals.” The annual report reveals how the label is doing.

The report showed that nearly a third of pigs in the United Kingdom were now covered by the scheme, 70 per cent of Scottish salmon was produced under the RSPCA standard and 50 per cent of the UK’s laying hens were Freedom Food – now RSPCA Assured. There was an increase of 48 per cent in the number of turkeys farmed under the scheme and the fast food chain McDonald’s was now sourcing 100 per cent Freedom Food pork.

“Freedom Food continues to be a very important means by which the RSPCA seeks to promote higher welfare for farmed animals,” said the directors’ report, which was signed by the chairman, Mike Tomlinson. He said that new versions of the RSPCA welfare standards were produced in 2014 for pigs and for trout.

The report showed that, in all, some 40 million animals were covered by the assurance scheme – about the same as the previous year – and more than 300 million fish. The number of fish under the Freedom Food label nearly doubled year-on-year, from 172 million in 2013 to 324 million in 2014.

Although consumers saw labelling changed from Freedom Food to RSPCA Assured during 2014, RSPCA said that Freedom Food would continue to be used for business-to-business activity and that it would continue as the name of the business. Freedom Food Ltd is a subsidiary company of the RSPCA. As well as being a company limited by shares, it is also a registered charity. The seven directors of Freedom Food Ltd are also trustees of the charity.

The latest annual report shows that Freedom Food increased its membership during 2014. Membership increased by 129 to a total of 3,428, which, said the directors, was a 23 per cent increase on the target of 105 for 2014. However, whilst the number of members was up across the UK, net membership fell in Scotland. During 2014 a total of 57 new members joined the scheme in Scotland but 80 left. Total membership in Scotland was 500 by the end of 2014.

Financially, the 2014 figures were up on the previous year. Freedom Food generated a surplus of £100,947 during the year, compared with a surplus of £29,278 in 2013. Total expenditure for the year was down to £2.1 million in 2014 from £2.4 million the previous year. One employee was paid between £70,000 and £80,000 in 2014. Contributions to this employee’s pension scheme amounted to £11,606 for the year, compared with £7,345 the previous year.

The directors identified disease as the greatest potential risk to the business. They said that this could lead to restricted access to farms, which could possibly compromise inspection and impact on brand integrity. They said that Freedom Food maintained a reserve fund big enough to cover the standing costs of an assessment team in the event of a serious disease outbreak, which could seriously affect income.

When the rebranding of the Freedom Food label was announced towards the end of 2014, the organisation said that the move would clearly position the label as identifying products that had come from farm animals inspected to RSPCA welfare standards – whether indoors, outdoors, free range or organic.

The rebranding decision was taken after research was carried out for the charity. This research indicated that the majority of consumers would recognise and trust an RSPCA farm animal welfare mark. The RSPCA said that the rebranding would be supported by a sustained marketing campaign in 2015.

Mike Tomlinson said at the time, “The RSPCA has been committed to improving farm animal welfare since its foundation in 1824, and the launch of Freedom Food 20 years ago provided a unique opportunity to progress that aim.”

He said, “It is clear animal welfare is still high on the agenda. This move will make it much easier for shoppers to find the higher welfare products they are looking for.”

Freedom Food said in its 2014 annual report that it was not enough for its work to benefit animals. It said that one of the RSPCA’s founders – Richard Martin – had said the RSPCA’s prime aim was to “alter the moral feelings of the country.” That still resonated today, said the Freedom Food directors in their report. “Preventing cruelty to animals promotes humane sentiments in humankind towards animals, which involves moral benefit to the human community as a whole.” They said the public benefit was clear but was difficult to quantify. They said that all Freedom Food’s charitable activities were focused on promoting kindness to animals.