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all the information you need about meat product labelling

The four rearing method labelling scheme tiers:

A look, a touch: consumers should not need more to make an informed choice when buying meat products. However, as the number of seals that provide information about animal welfare continues to grow each year, this is not always an easy task. The uniform, four-tier rearing method labelling scheme should help here. This food labelling scheme for meat products can be found across almost all retailers – from major supermarkets to discount stores. It provides transparent and reliable information about the conditions in which the animals are kept.

There are different criteria behind each of the four tiers. You can find out more about them HERE . The classification from 1 to 4 indicates the level of animal welfare – from Tier 1 Indoor to Tier 4 Premium. The aim of this scheme is to make it easier for you, as a consumer, to see the conditions the animals were kept in and to decide which products will end up in your shopping basket. You can find out which animal welfare seals are already included in the labelling scheme HERE .

» Pigs

Space requirements: min. 0.75 m² per animal
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Changeable manipulable materials, at least moving chains combined with pieces of wood, for example

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 39 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Dry bedding suitable for pecking, scratching and dust bathing

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 58 kg/m² cocks and 52 kg/m² hens
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Permanent access to dry bedding

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: 1.5 m² – 2.2 m² (depending on weight)
Housing: Indoor, preferably loose housing

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Loose housing with stalls, animal-to-stall ratio: 1:1
Housing: Preferably loose housing or combination housing

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor, systematic surgical interventions on the animals, such as the shortening of bills or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Unobstructed floor area with cage system housing: 800 cm²/animal
Housing: Indoor/cage system housing

» Pigs

Space requirements: min. 0.825 m² / animal, at least 10% more space than legally required
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Additional organic manipulable material made from natural materials

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 35 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material such as straw or pecking stones, for example

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 53 kg/m² cocks and 48 kg/m² hens
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material such as straw or pecking stones, for example

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: 1.5 m² to at least 3 m² per animal depending on weight
Housing: loose housing, no tethered housing

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Animal-to-stall ratio of 1:1; over 350 kg at least 4 m² per animal
Housing: loose housing or combination housing** with access to fields (at least 120 days for 2 hours a day) or with yard or exercise pen with at least 4.5 m² / animal. The exercise area must consist of at least 16 m² of contiguous space.

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor; with daylight (window or light entry band that is at least 3% the size of the barn area); Systematic surgical interventions on the animals, such as the shortening of bills or claws, are not permitted.

» Rabbits

Space requirements: unobstructed floor area: 1-4 animals: 1,500 cm²/animal, 5-10 animals: 1,000 cm²/animal, 11-24 animals: 850 cm²/animal, 25 or more animals: 700 cm²/animal
In addition, an elevated level must be provided: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the elevated level should be a maximum of 40% of the unobstructed floor area.
Housing: Group housing, group size of at least 10 rabbits, pens with open tops, no wire mesh floors.
The animals must be able to hop at least twice in a row. As such, one side of the pen should be at least 1.8 m long if possible. At least 5% natural daylight (5% of barn floor area) for new buildings (= buildings approved or put to use after 11/08/2014).

» Pigs

Space requirements: at least 40% more than legally required in Germany, 1.05 m²/animal
Housing: Indoor with contact to the outside environment, at least open-front stalls
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material such as straw

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 25 kg/m² or max. 29 kg/m² (barns with a cold scratching area)
Housing: Indoor with permanent access to outdoor area
Enrichment: At least two organic manipulable materials made from changeable and consumable material such as straw, pecking stones every 150 m²

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 41 kg/m² cocks and 37 kg/m² hens, at least 30% more space than is legally required
Housing: Indoor with permanent access to outdoor area
Enrichment: At least two organic manipulable materials made from changeable and consumable material such as straw, pecking stones every 400 m²

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: 1.5 m² to at least 4 m² per animal depending on weight
Housing: Loose housing with yard that can be accessed all year round (at least 3 m2/animal in the yard)

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Animal-to-stall ratio of 1:1; over 350 kg at least 5 m² per animal
Housing: Loose housing with permanent access to a yard or loose housing with access to fields, no tethered housing

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m², or 25 kg/m² pen area, when the animals have constant access to open spaces
Housing: Open-front pens, or pens with constant access to covered or open spaces for the entire fattening period; The outdoor areas must be equivalent to half of the pen size, with a pen size of 25 kg/m2, as a minimum; Systematic surgical interventions on the animals, such as the shortening of bills or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Unobstructed floor area: 1,000 cm²/animal. In addition, an elevated level must be provided: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the elevated level should be a maximum of 40% of the unobstructed floor area.
Housing: Group housing with outdoor environment, e.g.: covered open spaces, open-front runs, at least 20 rabbits per group, pens with open tops, no wire mesh floors. The animals must be able to hop at least twice in a row. As such, one side of the pen should be at least 1.8 m long if possible. Minimum bedded area: 0.05 m²/animal. Structured environment with feeding, resting and general areas. Suitable places for hiding (tubes/holes)

» Pigs

Space requirements: min. 1.5 m² / animal and 100% more space than legally required
Housing: Indoor with permanent access to open-air runs or free-range
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material: straw or comparable substrate must always be available

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor with access to outdoor areas (during at least 1/3 of their life) that are mostly vegetated
Enrichment: Additional bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» Turkeys

Space requirements: min. 60% more space than legally required (21 kg/m²)
Outdoor environment: Access to outdoor areas (during at least 1/3 of their life) that are primarily vegetated
Enrichment: Additional bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: 1.5 m² – at least 5 m² per animal depending on weight
Housing: Open-air runs and access to fields for the duration of the vegetation period, no tethered housing

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Animal-to-stall ratio of 1:1; over 350 kg at least 6 m² per animal
Housing: Loose housing with access to a yard and fields all year round

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor with access to outdoor areas for at least half of their life; The outdoor areas must be mostly vegetated; 2 m² of green space/animal; Systematic surgical interventions on the animals, such as the shortening of bills or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Unobstructed floor area: 1,500 cm²/animal In the pen: max. 20 kg/m². In addition, an elevated level must be provided: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the elevated level should be max. 40% the size of the unobstructed floor area.
Housing: Group housing with permanent access to outdoor runs/fields, or free-range, pen with open top, no wire mesh floor, Secured outdoor environment: 10 kg/m², Outdoor runs/fields area all year round: max. 3.3 kg/m², Field area: max. 10 kg/m² and 2 m² green runs/animal, With field/free-range: covered feeding stalls and nesting boxes. The outside area on farms with permanent housing for the rabbits must be built so that there are enough elevated platforms evenly spread over the minimum area. Suitable places for hiding (tubes/holes)