Salmon on top in consumer welfare league

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Titled ‘Consumer Attitudes to Animal Welfare’, salmon is judged to have the second-top living conditions, with their environment described as ‘similar to nature’.Highlighting the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ animal living conditions, salmon is positioned behind the first-placed dairy cattle, but ahead of pigs, beef cattle, sheep, turkeys, ducks, chickens and laying hens.

Conducted by Freedom Food, the RSPCA’s farm assurance and food labelling scheme, the report included a survey of 1,000 British shoppers from different age groups and regions in the UK.

Commenting on the findings, Sid Patten, chief executive of Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, said: “Salmon farmers are acutely aware of the public perception of food production and it is great news that salmon is perceived to have one of the best welfare standards for farmed animals.

“The industry has repeatedly challenged a sustained campaign from ill-informed critics over the course of many years which has been designed to damage its progress.

“The reality is that salmon are farmed to the highest standards of welfare,” he added.