Premier Foods – which owns popular FMCG brands such as Mr Kipling, Ambrosia, Bisto and OXO – has been awarded the highest possible ranking for animal welfare by the Business Benchmark on Animal Welfare (BBFAW).
The award came in recognition of the food and drink company’s continued efforts of improving animal welfare standards within its supply chain.
As one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers, Premier Foods was one of just four companies to be awarded Tier 1 status by BBRAW.
Additionally, Premier Foods was one in five companies to achieve a ‘B’ impact rating in the BBFAW’s tenth annual report, meaning it received the highest rating rewarded in 2021.
The BBFAW utilises a strict set of benchmarks including animal welfare management, policy commitment, performance and disclosure to assess 150 companies.
The news supports Premier Foods ongoing commitments as the company has been collaborating with NGOs like Compassion in World Farming, the Humane League and Four Paws.
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On top of this, the group has also worked closely with its suppliers to establish targets and encourage good practise of animal treatment within its own supply chains.
“To be recognised as Tier 1 by the BBFAW is an incredible achievement and is testament to the hard work of all involved,” Premier Foods procurement and central operation director Mark Hughes said.
“We have made significant progress over the last few years, which wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of our suppliers and farmers, who work tirelessly to uphold the high animal welfare standards that we, along with our customers and consumers, rightly expect.”
BBFAW executive director Nicky Amos added: “Premier Foods should be congratulated on achieving a Tier 1 ranking in the 2021 BBFAW Benchmark and on receiving a ‘B’ Impact Rating, which is the highest rating achieved by any company this year.”
“The tier ranking and impact rating demonstrate that Premier Foods has taken a leadership position on farm animal welfare and has declared improved welfare impacts for a reasonable proportion of animals in its supply chain.”
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