Waitrose has said it will not compromise on animal welfare or its support for British farming, amid renewed scrutiny over food standards following recent US-UK trade agreements.

In a statement, Waitrose head of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries Jake Pickering reassured customers and suppliers of the supermarket chain’s commitment.

Pickering said the retailer remains “shoulder to shoulder” with British farmers and will continue to champion high welfare and provenance across its supply chains.

“We want to reassure Waitrose customers that we will never compromise on our number one animal welfare standards or our long-standing commitment to British farming,” said Pickering.

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“All of our own-brand fresh beef, lamb, chicken, pork, eggs and fresh milk are sourced from British farmers to high welfare standards – and we have raised the bar for customers with the Better Chicken Commitment and introduction of our new welfare labelling.

The statement follows Waitrose’s previous commitment to ethical sourcing in UK grocery, with it previously announcing that it was the only major UK retailer to stock exclusively 100% British beef and to introduce free-range cream across parts of its own-label dairy offer.

Last year, it ramped up its pledge to sell more British beef from up to 20 native breeds, and in 2019 the supermarket signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment to become the first UK grocer to introduce enhanced welfare standards for chicken across its supply base.

The retailer’s comments come amid industry concerns that future trade deals could open the UK market to cheaper imports produced to lower welfare and environmental standards, particularly from the US.