Animal welfare Labelling

Our position 

The Vegetarian Society is calling on the UK Government to introduce mandatory labelling on all food products of animal origin, which clearly indicates the level of animal welfare involved in the production process, from birth to slaughter.  They want the government to induce this in the upcoming Animal Welfare Strategy.

In particular, labelling should indicate where animals have been subject to painful procedures without anaesthesia or stunning., which as a minimum should include procedures like castration, dehorning, tail docking, teeth clipping, and beak trimming.  

Labelling for eggs, chickens bred for meat and turkeys should also state where chicks or poults are routinely culled due to their sex, as recommended by the Animal Welfare Committe in its ‘Opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries’.

And to avoid unfairly focusing on UK produced foods, we also want to see this labelling applied to imported food.  

Context 

Consumers have a right to know how the animals used in the production of their food were treated. While increasing numbers of people are choosing plant-based options for ethical, environmental, and health reasons, those who continue to consume animal-derived products are often left in the dark about the conditions in which animals were raised, transported, and slaughtered. 

Current voluntary labelling schemes are inconsistent, confusing, and inadequate. They fail to provide clear, trustworthy information and allow producers using low-welfare practices to avoid scrutiny. This lack of transparency undermines consumer choice, distorts the market, and allows the continued exploitation of animals behind misleading or absent labels. 

In June 2025, the Government released the results of a consultation on fairer food labelling, which ran for 8 weeks from 12 March until 7 May 2024. Over 99% of individuals who responded support mandatory labelling reform.  There was also strong backing for a tiered labelling system to clearly communicate welfare standards, and widespread calls for greater transparency in how animals are treated throughout the production process. 

Since then, Switzerland has introduced mandatory animal welfare labelling to indicate whether animals have undergone painful procedures without anaesthesia, in response to growing public concern for animal welfare. 

Our demands 

We urge the Government to introduce a robust, mandatory method of production animal welfare labelling system that: 

• Clearly indicates the level of animal welfare involved in the production process, from birth to slaughter. 
• Includes any practices the animal had to endure that are likely to have caused extreme suffering, such as painful procedures without anaesthesia. 
• Is transparent, independently verified, and consistent across all sectors of animal agriculture. 
• Empowers consumers to make informed choices based on ethical and welfare concerns. 

The Vegetarian Society supports a food system that minimises harm to animals and prioritises plant-based choices. We believe transparency on animal welfare and food labelling is a critical step in driving awareness, reducing animal suffering, and supporting more responsible consumer behaviour. Alongside we will continue to champion good quality plant-based alternatives to meat, which allows the more aware consumer to take positive action and reduce their consumption of meat or eradicate it from their diet altogether. 

It is time for the UK to lead the way on food labelling by making honesty and accountability the norm on our supermarket shelves. 

recent government response

Here is the latest government response to the government’s plans following its consultation on labelling:

On 12 June 2025 we published the summary of responses and government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here

We recognise the strong support from the public and other stakeholders for clearer information for consumers on welfare standards for their food. We have also heard and understood the views raised on the detail of the consultation proposals by the many interested parties who have responded to this consultation.

We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare and food strategies.

How you can help 

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