Deck the table with humane food
Including humanely produced food in your Christmas feast is easier than ever this year.
2011 has been a year of many achievements for animal welfare, including the growth of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme. It’s been a year of the ‘ethical consumer’ as more consumers are interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it’s been produced – as a result of this, more farmers are looking to meet the RSPCA’s independent standards for farm animals.
On RSPCA Approved farms, animals are provided with the freedom and means to express their natural behaviours. These most basic of needs aren’t afforded to pigs, turkeys or chickens in conventional farming systems.
RSPCA Approved farming aims to improve the lives of the millions of farm animals raised for food in Australia every year by getting them out of conventional systems and onto farms that better meet their needs.
With RSPCA Approved pork, ham, turkey and chicken widely available across Australia, making a welfare-friendly Christmas lunch is easier to source than ever before.
Find your nearest stockist by visiting RSPCA – Shop Humane.
From the team at RSPCA Australia, thanks for your commitment to supporting humane food and improving the farming conditions of so many farm animals in 2011.
Wishing you a humane Christmas!
RSPCA Awards ‘Good Eggs’
8.5 million eggs is a hard number to comprehend – but that’s the combined total of cage-free eggs used by this year’s Good Egg Award winners.
The lives of tens of thousands of hens each year will be better thanks to these ‘Good Eggs’ – who are leading the way for hen welfare in their respective industries.
The Good Egg Award acknowledge major companies that make the switch to cage-free eggs. Our 2011 national Good Egg Award winners are:
• Grill’d – Food Service category
• The Coffee Club – Food Service category
• The Pancake Parlour – Food Service category
• Doodles Creek Mayonnaise – Manufacturing category
• Da Vinci Foods – Manufacturing category
• The Canberra Hospital, Food Services Division – Public procurement category
These organisations have shown great leadership in their industry and we’d like to recognise them for their commitment to animal welfare.
Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in how their food is produced, with two-thirds of shoppers concerned about hens in cages. Making the switch to cage-free eggs is simply giving customers what they want. We encourage consumers to support Good Egg Award winners for showing they care about hens and leading the way by using cage free eggs!
The Good Egg Award began in the UK by Compassion in World Farming. Previous International Good Egg Award winners have included McDonalds UK, Subway UK and Sainsburys supermarkets.
International winners tell us that receiving a Good Egg Award and helping to get hens out of cages has made good business sense. It has also boosted staff morale, improved brand image and reputation, and benefited their bottom line.
We are looking forward to seeing more Australian based organisations making the switch to cage-free.
2011 Good Egg Award winners in Canberra this week.
This Friday 14 October is World Egg Day – so what better time to put hens before their eggs!
Around 16.3 million layer hens are farmed to produce Australia’s eggs – with over 11 million still confined to cages with less space per bird than 1 A4 sized piece of paper.
Caged hens can’t express their natural behaviours, such as foraging or perching, they can’t stretch their wings or lay their eggs in a nest.
Caged hens live a miserable existence.
While it’s good news that demand for more humanely produced eggs are growing, with 1.1 million hens raised in barns and 4.1 million hens now raised on free range farms, World Egg Day is a time to reflect on the vast majority of hens still confined in cages – in unacceptable farming conditions.
World Egg Day is your chance to make a difference to the lives of layer hens.
As a consumer, your shopping list is your voting card and buying humane eggs when shopping can make a difference to the lives of millions of layer hens.
Don’t forget to Choose Wisely when eating out and support businesses that are Good Eggs.
Email your local state agriculture or primary industries Minister.
You have the power to influence what products you see on the supermarket shelf and get hens out of cages, so make a real difference this World Egg Day!
Note: production figures and image sourced from Australian Egg Corporation Limited.
Which came first…the chicken or the egg?
Which came first…the chicken or the egg? Either way – make sure they’re produced humanely and certified by a reputable organisation!
There’s been lots of discussion over the last few weeks relating to egg and meat chicken production in Australia. This is a good thing. These conversations are bringing the production of chickens into the public arena and hopefully encouraging people to have a greater understanding of where their eggs and chicken meat comes from.
It’s no surprise that consumers are confused about labelling terms. In fact, an RSPCA survey showed that 1 in 4 consumers find animal welfare labels confusing and 1 in 3 consumers don’t trust such labels at all. And who can blame them when all these terms are thrown at them when choosing products in the supermarket.
The consumer has grown to associate the term ‘free range’ with good animal welfare. But to the RSPCA, good welfare is more than simply allowing animal’s access to the outdoors.
It’s important that consumers begin to understand that welfare goes beyond marketing on pack, brand and product advertising and they look for independent welfare certification by a reputable organisation on eggs and meat.
To make an informed choice, education is key!
Consumers need to understand what ‘conventional’ farming involves and the conditions under which the vast majority of layer hens and meat chickens are raised in Australia. While concern of the welfare issues associated with caged hens is high amongst Australians, few know or understand the welfare issues associated with the production of meat chickens.
First up, chickens that are used for meat production (also called broiler chickens) are very different from layer hens. Adding to the confusion are media clips that talk about the plight of meat chickens but show pictures of layer hens, when in actual fact they’re different birds.
Meat Chickens are bred to grow and gain weight very rapidly. They’ve been genetically selected to produce large breast muscle and will grow to slaughter weight in 35 days. They’re not grown in cages (unlike 12 million egg laying hens in Australia) and are not fed hormones.
While they’re not grown in cages like laying hens, the majority of meat chickens are farmed indoors (in barns/sheds), in systems that may house up to 60,000 birds in a single shed. Meat chickens may be kept in dim light for 23 hours a day to discourage movement and increase food intake, which basically makes them very meaty, very quickly. The majority of meat chickens in Australia live in barren environments with no possibility for behavioural stimulation.
Meat chickens in these systems can suffer some serious problems, including:
- leg problems, including lameness and bone breakages
- heart and eye abnormalities
- feet and hock burns
- breast blisters.
The large size of the chickens also affects stocking density, especially at the end of the growing period. Lack of space results in lack of exercise, which increases the incidence of lameness. This, in turn, increases the birds’ contact with the litter, causing foot pad burn, hock burn and breast blisters if the litter is not well managed. Chickens may die from heat stress caused by the cramped conditions in the shed.
The RSPCA is working directly with farmers to improve the welfare of meat chickens. The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme includes production standards for meat chickens which can be raised indoors in sheds/barns or in a system where birds can access an outdoor area (Free Range). The RSPCA Standards are based on catering for the birds physical and behavioural needs.
By reducing stocking density, providing appropriate lighting and providing an environment that encourages natural behaviour, significant welfare problems can be prevented. The RSPCA is also interested in seeing a slower growing bird introduced into Australian meat chicken production.
Visit Shop Humane to find your nearest stockist of RSPCA Approved chicken.
Freedom Farms – the latest RSPCA Approved Chicken to hit the shelves
We’re very proud to announce the latest RSPCA Approved chicken, Freedom Farms has hit supermarket shelves in selected IGA’s, Harris Farm Markets, and Supabarn stores.
The RSPCA Paw of Approval can be found on Freedom Farms Chicken, which means this chicken comes from animals that were treated according to animal welfare standards developed and assessed by the RSPCA.
Approved Farming is the RSPCA’s farm assurance and food labelling scheme dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals. RSPCA Approved farms are monitored closely to ensure the RSPCA’s high animal welfare standards are maintained and animals on these farms are provided with an environment that meets their behavioural and physical needs. The auditing process is robust and farms that supply Freedom Farms Chicken will be assessed by the Scheme’s dedicated farm assessors at least 4 times over the coming year.
So now it’s easy to make a difference to the lives of farm animals next time you’re shopping – simply purchase RSPCA Approved, Freedom Farms chicken at your local independent retailer. By purchasing these products you are not only helping animals, you are also supporting Australian farmers that are choosing to farm to higher welfare standards. So that’s good news for farm animals and for Australian farmers.
The range includes; breasts, drumsticks, whole birds, thighs and wings. Stockists can be found by visiting Shop Humane and remember if you can’t find Freedom Farms chicken at your local, independent retailer – please encourage them to stock it.
Cupcake Day for the RSPCA
It’s that time of year again, time to bake a batch of cupcakes and raise much needed funds for the RSPCA!
Monday 15 August is Cupcake Day so register now.
When baking cupcakes for RSPCA Cupcake Day it’s important to use eggs that have come from either RSPCA Approved or cage-free farming systems. Cupcake Day raises funds to help the RSPCA fight animal cruelty – so by baking cupcakes using cage-free eggs you’re not only raising much needed funds for the RSPCA but helping get hens out of cages at the same time.
We’d love to hear your favourite cupcake recipes!
Checkout Not Quite Nigella’s fantastic cupcakes – they’re almost too cute to eat!
Know of any Good Eggs?
The RSPCA Good Egg Awards celebrate medium-large sized companies that are showing leadership by sourcing or switching to cage-free eggs (barn or free-range).
The types of businesses that could be eligible for an RSPCA Good Egg Award include;
- Retailers (e.g. supermarkets)
- Manufacturers (e.g. medium/large companies producing biscuits, desserts, pasta etc.)
- Food service (e.g fast food restaurants, large-scale catering companies)
- Education/government facilities (e.g. museums, universities, hospitals)
We’d love to hear your suggestions of businesses in the categories above that you think are either;
1. using cage free eggs already
2. would be interested in moving in this direction.
If your university campus has gone cage-free, you notice your mayonnaise or biscuits are using cage-free eggs please let us know. Remember, the products needs to be manufactured in Australia. Encouraging businesses to go cage-free, increases the chance of getting more hens out of cages.
Internationally, there are lots of organisations moving in this direction and we’re encouraging Australian businesses that use eggs produced by layer hens in Australia to include animal welfare as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, and make the switch to cage-free.
International Good Egg Award winners (including some very well-known brands) say receiving a Good Egg Award and letting hens out of cages has made good business sense, boosted staff morale, improved brand image and reputation, and benefited their bottom line. That’s good for animals and for business.
The RSPCA Good Egg Awards are an opportunity for businesses to make a positive impact on animal welfare and help set the standard for others.
2011 Good Egg Award nominations are open until 30 September 2011.
Winter comfort food
Winter makes me hungry and I want to eat more in the colder months. I especially like comfort food in winter, food that tastes delicious but is not so healthy including hot potato chips. I love chips in every form smothered in salt and sometimes tomato or sweet chilli sauce. French fries, crinkle cut, straight cut or wedges, I’m not fussy. Chips are very yummy and there is nothing better to eat on a cold gloomy day.
The other food I can’t get enough of in winter that is actually good for me, packed with loads of vegies, is soup. Soup for me is the ultimate comfort food, especially when you’re sick in bed with the flu. It warms me up in cold Canberra and is perfect with a piece of bread for dunking. Be sure to save some bread to wipe the bowl to get the last of the soup, saves washing up. Only kidding!
Soup is popular to make at home in winter and most cafes and restaurants have a soup of the day, if they don’t offer soup all year round. I must admit that even though I love my soup I haven’t made any myself, but by the end of winter I plan to give it a go. I can’t promise how it will come out as I’m not a very good cook, but I can only try.
Someone who is a great cook in this office is Trudy. She recently got hold of a great recipe in Super Food Ideas June issue for a Roasted Sweet Potato Soup. It was so popular with her kids that none of it made it to be leftovers.
So if you love soup give this recipe a go and stay warm this winter.
Roasted sweet potato soup
Serves 4 | Ready in 50 minutes
850g orange sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 medium brown onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup pure cream
4 sprigs of parsley
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Place potato, onion and garlic in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and maple syrup. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and tender.
Place potato mixture in a large saucepan. Add stock. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. Return to pan over low heat, Stir in ¾ cup cream. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with remaining cream. Add sprig of parsley to each bowl.
Shopping with a conscience
Just over three weeks after the horrific vision of Australian cattle in Indonesia went to air on ABC’s Four Corners, the RSPCA is still inundated with calls from concerned members of the public.
Many of the calls have been offers of support from people wanting to know what they can do to help.
Some are questioning the farming and slaughter of animals here in Australia, with a common query, ‘what should I be buying at the supermarket’?
For years, people have become detached when it comes to knowing about the food they consume…they eat bacon, but don’t dream of showing them a picture of an actual pig. Too confronting!
Well the good news is…times are changing!
It’s important for people to have a better understanding of where their food comes from and how its been produced. I’d love to see more cooking shows take a step back in the supply chain and educate viewers on how their food actually got to the table and the animal that produced it.
We’re seeing an increasing number of more engaged, more connected consumers. People want more information about how their food is produced and for these people, animal welfare is becoming a key influencer in consumer purchasing decisions. We’re also starting to see pictures and imagery of animals used on packaging. This is a subtle reminder that consumers are starting to connect with the product they’re purchasing.
The RSPCA believes you can eat meat or eggs and still care about the welfare of the animals that provide it.
To make a real difference in improving the welfare of farm animals, the power of the consumer is best exercised at the point of purchase. By purchasing humanely produced food, where standards on farm are higher than those in conventional systems and those required by law, a direct message is sent down the supply chain – straight back to farm.
As more consumers purchase humanely produced food, demand increases, having a direct impact on supply… ultimately leading to more animals farmed to higher welfare standards.
We’re proud to be working with Australian farmers that are leading the way by producing humanely farmed eggs, pork, chicken and turkey. In time, the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standards may include other species.
Checkout RSPCA Approved products near you. Remember if you can’t find them, please ask your retailer for them. As a consumer, this is one simple way you can make a difference to improve the lives of farm animals.
Pots of gold
With a fear of getting hooked and wasting an hour of my life x 6 nights a week , I’ve managed to only watch one episode of this season’s Masterchef.
It featured the humble potato and a few different creative dishes using spuds, whipped up by Irish chef, Colin Fassnidge.
It’s a healthier take on a ‘gratin’ style dish – so basically potato minus the cheese and cream.
‘Where’s the fun in that’ I hear you say…well, I was thinking the same – but when I tasted this dish, I was pleasantly surprised – it was a pot of pure potato gold. The secret being the potato soaks up the stock as it’s cooking and the butter helps caramalise.
Ingredient quantities will depend on how many people you’re serving. Perhaps estimate 1.5 potatoes per head? I used some individual cast iron pots to cook and serve in.
Ingredients
- Potato (a floury variety)
- Onion
- Butter
- Veg stock
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Peel and thinly slice potato and layer in a baking dish.
Place onion, a small knob of butter and seasoning in between each layer.
Press down firmly so there’s no gaps – with potato layered to the top of the dish.
Pour stock into dish, about 2/3 full.
Bake in oven on high for around 45 mins until golden brown.
Enjoy the piping hot goodness
Just out of the oven…
…time to tuck-in!
