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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Food labelling scheme for animals | Food labelling scheme for animals |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Plans for a national labelling system for food, which would include details of the conditions that animals are kept in, have been announced. | Plans for a national labelling system for food, which would include details of the conditions that animals are kept in, have been announced. |
| The Animal Welfare Delivery Strategy aims to raise animal care standards and increase awareness of the issues. | The Animal Welfare Delivery Strategy aims to raise animal care standards and increase awareness of the issues. |
| The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is spearheading the new strategy. | The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is spearheading the new strategy. |
| But animal rights group, Animal Aid, wants current welfare laws re-enforced. It said the move was a "PR exercise". | |
| The proposals come as Defra investigates the alleged mislabelling of non-free range eggs. | |
| This strategy suggests ways we can take responsibility and work together to achieve good animal welfare Ben Bradshaw, minister for animal health and welfare | This strategy suggests ways we can take responsibility and work together to achieve good animal welfare Ben Bradshaw, minister for animal health and welfare |
| Ben Bradshaw, minister for animal health and welfare, said: "Everyone who keeps or works with animals can help improve their care. | Ben Bradshaw, minister for animal health and welfare, said: "Everyone who keeps or works with animals can help improve their care. |
| "While it's our job in government to set minimum standards by law, the public and our key partners also have a vital role to play. | "While it's our job in government to set minimum standards by law, the public and our key partners also have a vital role to play. |
| "This strategy suggests ways we can take responsibility for different aspects of this issue and work together to achieve good animal welfare - it's a subject that affects us all and we want to hear what others think of our vision." | "This strategy suggests ways we can take responsibility for different aspects of this issue and work together to achieve good animal welfare - it's a subject that affects us all and we want to hear what others think of our vision." |
| The key goals include improving the quality and range of training and education for animal keepers and providing more comprehensive information to consumers on the welfare history of animal products - thereby allowing them to make informed choices about what to buy, a Defra spokesman said. | The key goals include improving the quality and range of training and education for animal keepers and providing more comprehensive information to consumers on the welfare history of animal products - thereby allowing them to make informed choices about what to buy, a Defra spokesman said. |
| The plans also include working towards internationally-agreed standards for animal welfare. | The plans also include working towards internationally-agreed standards for animal welfare. |
| 'Outright abuse' | |
| An Animal Aid spokesman said it had supplied Defra with evidence of severe neglect - including an absence of water and untreated, infected injuries and abuse such as beatings. | |
| It said that despite such evidence, "prosecutions are woefully rare". | |
| A 12-week consultation period on the food labelling scheme is getting under way. | |
| Defra's current inquiry into the alleged mislabelling of non-free range eggs relates to about one per cent of the 3bn free range eggs produced each year in the UK - around 30m eggs, a spokesman added. | Defra's current inquiry into the alleged mislabelling of non-free range eggs relates to about one per cent of the 3bn free range eggs produced each year in the UK - around 30m eggs, a spokesman added. |