WAITROSE has launched new packaging for its Food To Go range featuring a pack design that champions its ‘market leading’ animal welfare standards.
The supermarket launched its first ever lunchtime meal deal in August 2023, with the line’s new packaging looking to help guide shoppers’ choices when it comes to welfare by highlighting Waitrose’s ‘no compromise’ approach to welfare. The new packs also feature less plastic and are more recyclable.
The move comes amidst the retailer warning that, without transparency and strong labelling, welfare standards ‘risk being overlooked’ and customers who are otherwise keen to support higher welfare ‘lose out’.
Jake Pickering, Waitrose & Partners senior agriculture manager, explained, “Waitrose is number one for animal welfare and the place to shop for quality, delicious British food. 100% of our own label fresh meat, milk, and shell eggs are sourced from British and Irish farmers and used as ingredients in our sandwiches, salads and wraps.
“Welfare standards often slip in other shops when it comes to ready made lunch products but customers don’t have to compromise at Waitrose. We are making that even clearer to our customers with our new bolder and brighter packaging.
“We are huge champions of better information for shoppers to help guide their choices in line with their values. We have called on the Government to strengthen animal welfare labelling so people can be in the know about how their food’s been produced, regardless of where they choose to shop. We have seen the success story in terms of demand for higher welfare products with welfare labelling on eggs.”
UK Government environment secretary Steve Barclay added, “It’s great to see supermarkets championing high-welfare products and backing British farmers – I saw this for myself recently when visiting a pig farm in Norfolk which supplies Waitrose with high-welfare pork.
“Food labelling is so important to helping people chose quality British produce, which is why I announced at the Oxford Farming Conference that we will soon be consulting on plans to standardise and simplify packaging information.”
