22 Jan 2008


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Fayrefield Foods launches Freedom Food labelled cheddar

Fayrefield Foods

animal welfare

Source : Fayrefield Foods
Award winning dairy company Fayrefield Foods is launching an innovative cheddar brand, featuring the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme logo, which prescribes high welfare standards for farm animals.

Spoilt Cow

Using milk from cows reared on Freedom Food approved Denhay Farm in West Dorset, the aptly named ‘Spoilt Cow’ mature cheddar is an award winning, handmade cheese made in traditional cheese vats to time honoured methods.

Created by the RSPCA, Freedom Food is the UK’s only farm assurance scheme dedicated solely to farm animal welfare, and offers product traceability from farm to table.

All members of the scheme are assessed according to RSPCA species-specific welfare standards, which have been developed by the RSPCA farm animals department, and also take into consideration advice from welfare academics, veterinarian specialists and practical experience from the farming industry itself.

Chris Swire, Fayrefield Foods’ Marketing Director, says: “As the UK’s leading independent dairy company, it is important that we take an active role in the welfare of the animals, whenever possible, as well as taking into account the growing importance of traceability for consumers.

“Our Spoilt Cow mature cheddar is setting a benchmark for the dairy industry, whilst offering consumers a delicious, high quality cheese that has come from some of the most cared for cows in the country. The quality of the cheese speaks for itself.”

This innovative cheese comes in light of growing consumer demands for foods that reflect animal welfare.

This is demonstrated in research conducted by IGD on behalf of Freedom Food in 2007 that found that 67% of consumers think animal welfare is an important issue whilst over 50% of the population is currently making at least one or two purchase decisions as a result of their attitude to animal welfare issues.

The Co-operative Ethical Consumerism Report 2007 further highlights these points by confirming household expenditure on ethical goods and services has almost doubled in the past five years. The report shows that last year, on average, every household in the UK spent £664 in line with their ethical values compared with just £366 in 2002, an increase of 81 per cent.

As part of its campaign to support the welfare of Britain’s animals, Fayrefield Foods will be giving 5p to the RSPCA for every pack of Spoilt Cow cheese sold.

Due to limited supplies of cheese, Spoilt Cow will be available, initially, from a selection of leading supermarkets in the Spring of 2008.

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