The trend towards ethical products has led to an in-depth survey of Christmas hams sold in Australia.
This year, advocacy group World Animal Protection (WAP) surveyed major supermarkets and brands and ranked their Christmas hams against its nine key animal welfare categories.
The result was the production of a consumer guide to buying hams responsibly, called Your Responsible Christmas Ham Guide.
Of the six Christmas hams ranked, there are two higher-welfare hams available, according to WAP – one at Woolworths and the other at Coles.
WAP said ALDI and IGA refused to complete the survey and so couldn’t be included in the ranking.
Pork brands such as Primo, Otway, Bertocchi, Dorsogna and Tibaldi declined to participate in the guide, so the animal welfare standards of their Christmas hams couldn’t be evaluated.
WAP campaign manager Amber Jacobus said Australian consumers were increasingly interested in where their food came from, and what sort of life the animal had.
“It’s unacceptable that some supermarkets and brands couldn’t or wouldn’t provide us with detailed information on their animal welfare practices,” she said.
“This lack of transparency is a slap in the face for Australians who are concerned about animal welfare.”
According to WAP, Australian farming standards for pigs have not been updated in a decade, and mother pigs can spend large portions of their lives alone in cramped cages.
In Australia, the tide is turning on cages for pigs, with leading producers committing to end the use of cages during pregnancy for sows.
