No change in trend

Animal welfare is a non-issue when it comes to pork

The finding that pork from factory farming accounts for over 90 percent of the meat on offer in supermarkets remains unchanged.

(Bild: EXPA/JFK)

In the third attempt since 2020, the quality of pork in Austria's supermarkets remains unchanged: It remains the case that over 90 percent of what is available in stores does not meet animal welfare or environmental criteria. 

For the 30 most common quality labels and brands, twelve such criteria, such as GMO-free feeding or the possibility of an outdoor area, were checked again.

It was also checked whether the respective quality label guarantees that pigs do not have their curly tails cut off, that no castrations are carried out without anaesthetic and that fully slatted floors are prohibited.

90 percent from factory farming
The result remained unchanged: pork from factory farming accounts for over 90 percent of the pork on offer in supermarkets. This does not meet any of the animal welfare and environmental criteria, while the conventional animal welfare projects of Austrian supermarkets generally meet eight to nine. Only organic brands achieve ten and once all twelve - however, the market share of organic pork is less than three percent.

The most important findings: 

• 30 quality marks and brands were checked: Over 90 percent of retail pork does not meet animal welfare and environmental criteria.
• This means that nine out of ten pigs are still living in the most adverse conditions. In other words, they usually live on slatted floors that are cruel to animals, have no straw and no fresh air.
• Consumers often do not recognize the conditions under which the animals were kept. There is a quality label chaos.
• A swift decision must be made to phase out full-slatted floors that are cruel to animals.
• The federal government is currently renegotiating the animal husbandry label announced for 2022.

Austrians love their schnitzel
Those who buy pork can follow the current shopping guide and choose organic meat or meat from supermarket animal welfare projects. This protects the environment and guarantees a better life for the pigs. It is also recommended to consume meat in general. On average, Austrians consume three times as much as the maximum recommended amount.