Maintaining and improving animal welfare

Group Position Statement. Last updated: 28/05/2025

Our policy

This policy covers both our food & non-food (as a by-product of food production) products across the entire Tesco Group (including Booker in the UK and our businesses in the UK, Ireland and Central Europe) for all of our own-label products.

Customers expect great products and also expect us to take animal welfare seriously when sourcing these products. We commit to continuous improvement in animal welfare within the markets in which we operate.

In 2020, Tesco was placed in Tier 2 of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW). More information on this can be found on their website.

Following extensive revision to the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) in 2022, the more stringent and rigorous methodology resulted in Tesco being placed in the top 18% of companies assessed globally. However, we were placed in the top 8% of companies in the 2023 assessment for our specific measurable impact and reporting on Farm Animal Welfare.

Our animal welfare policy applies to all our own-label products in all geographies and businesses. It covers animal testing, farmed animals used in food or non-food products and the sale of pets, other live animals and pet accessories.

At Executive Committee level, our Chief Commercial Officer has ultimate responsibility over our Responsible Sourcing agenda, of which animal welfare is a key part. The day to day governance and implementation of our animal welfare policy is overseen by our Group Quality Director who reports into the Chief Commercial Officer. Animal welfare forms part of ongoing discussions with suppliers on sourcing standards and requirements, with a view to continuously identifying potential to drive improvement.

Tesco do not support, commission or carry out animal testing on any of our products or the ingredients they contain, and nor do our suppliers on our behalf.

Our approach to animal welfare for farmed animals, pets and other live animals applies from breeding to rearing, transport and – where applicable – slaughter. No animal destined for any of our stores across all businesses and geographies (own-label products) will typically be transported overland for more than 8 hours, from farm to slaughter. Where this cannot be achieved the animals must be transported in superior vehicles capable of allowing livestock to drink and with rest to feed.

Our approach has historically been based on and endorses the following Five Freedoms, proposed by Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC):

Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress

However, in addition to the criteria which have traditionally underpinned the Five Freedoms we recognise the importance of both the physical and mental well-being of animals and their standing as sentient beings.

We support those management practices that actively promote positive welfare rather than just ensuring an ‘absence of negatives’. To achieve these principles we work collaboratively with our suppliers, growers and farmers and fishermen, as well as researchers, vets and welfare NGOs to identify ways in which high standards of animal welfare can be assured in a manner that is achievable for our supply base. We will continuously review our frameworks, processes and guidance to develop our approach to animal welfare and support our farming and supply chain partners. In addition to the Five Freedoms we adopt the following overarching principles.

We do not allow products from farm animals subject to genetic engineering or cloning and/or their progeny or descendants in any of our products (own brand or branded) in any of our businesses or geographies. We do not prohibit the use of GM feed in the production of our non-organic meat, eggs and milk. We offer an organic range for those customers who prefer to avoid products from animals who may have had GM feed. Animals used to produce all our own-label organic range of meat, eggs and milk are reared on non-GM feed. Click here for our full GM policy.

We do not allow the use of growth promoting substances in any of our products (own-label or branded). This includes Antibiotic Digestive Enhancers and both hormonal and non-hormonal products including B agonists such as ractopomine.

CCTV

Tesco is committed to the implementation of CCTV coverage of livestock handling, stun and slaughter throughout the global supply chain to all Tesco businesses. Currently this is in place in 100% of UK sites supplying our Tesco UK business, 99% of global sites supplying UK business, and we are working to achieve 100% across global sites supplying the Tesco Group, to include some system of image capture even in challenging environments e.g. aquaculture supply chains. Regular, documented review is a core component of the CCTV policy and review of historic images is used in our welfare audits. Booker were also the first wholesaler to require CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses in their supply chains.

All animals destined for our stores across all businesses and geographies (own-label and branded products), with the exception of a small number of designated and clearly labelled branded concessions subject to religious slaughter policies, are stunned before slaughter.

Farmed animals for food and non-food

Within our food business we aim for high animal welfare standards across all farming systems – from breeding and rearing through to transport and slaughter. Where available (in terms of both species and geography) there is an expectation that all parts of the supply chain are certified to a recognised and accredited Farm Assurance Scheme. In markets where suppliers are working to legal requirements, we aim to work with our supply chain partners to drive improvements in standards along the supply chain. Animal welfare forms part of our supplier auditing programme. The annual proportion of sites covered varies across business units and territories. Where not currently at 100% we are looking at plans to improve visibility.

Similarly, within our Tesco non-food business we will only procure animal products (e.g. feathers or leather) which are a by-product of the food industry, and have an ambition to only take from farms adhering to the same high standards we set our food business. We will take learnings from our work in the UK to inform our approach across the Group, in a way that is both stretching and achievable for our supplier base.

We’ve committed to stop sourcing shell eggs from caged hens by 2025 across our UK (including Booker), ROI and Central European businesses. We have made a further commitment to move to 100% cage free for products containing ingredient eggs within our Tesco UK and One Stop businesses.

Tesco has a commitment to the avoidance of close confinement systems for livestock. All reproductive sows spend no more than a maximum of 28 days in gestation stalls and our lamb is raised in extensive pasture-based systems.

In April 2025, Tesco improved the welfare of its core chicken range, giving birds more space to perch, peck and play following a 20% decrease in stocking density. All birds will now be reared at 30kg/m2, moving away from the industry standard of 38kg/m2 set by Red Tractor Farm Assured.

Tesco’s trial work compared 30kg/m2 to a control farm of 38kg/m2, and showed the birds were happier and healthier, with improvements in behavioural measures such as resting, moving, wing-flapping, running, sparring, foraging, and perching.

Tesco has a commitment to the avoidance of routine mutilations such a teeth clipping, beak trimming and tail docking. Where unavoidable, these practices can only be carried out on risk assessed evidence of need, typically on veterinary advice and where other management alternatives have already been explored to mitigate need.

Tesco has a commitment to the provision of effective species-specific enrichment. All of our pig supply base must ensure that enrichment types stimulate and satisfy key exploratory behaviours (rooting/chewing and sniffing) achieved through provision of either a single optimal substrate or through multiple enrichment types that collectively meet animal needs.

Antibiotics

We recognise the importance of antibiotics in both human and animal medicine and the threat from improper use in livestock supply chains. It is for this reason that we make sure antibiotics are used responsibly. Our approach is to require our producers to use antibiotics as sparingly as possible without compromising animal welfare.

Antibiotics are not used prophylactically (preventatively) or as growth promoters in any of our products (own-label or branded) across any of our businesses or geographies. We recognise species -specific requirements which make group treatment (metaphylaxis) unavoidable in the event of disease challenge e.g. aquaculture but routine metaphylaxis is prohibited.

Textiles

All leather, feather and wool products are a by-product of the food industry. When developing and sourcing a new product, colleagues must ensure that the following fundamental requirements are met:

Animal species included in the appendix I, II & III of The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or on the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red list above vulnerable status must not be sourced.
Fur must not be sourced or used on any Tesco product and any synthetic material used to look like fur must be clearly labelled as ‘Fake Fur’ or ‘Faux Fur’.
All natural products, such as leather, sold in store or online must be by-products of the food industry.
Karakul lambskin or astrakhan (fur of new-born or foetal lambs) must not be used.
Merino wool must only be sourced from farms using non-mulesing practices.
Feather and down obtained from the live plucking of birds must not be used.
Feather and down obtained from birds subject to gavage (force) feeding must not be used.
Leather must be sourced from conventionally farmed animals such as cow, pig, sheep and goat.
Animals considered domestic, for example dogs, cats, fish, frogs and rabbits, or exotic, for example snake, ostrich and crocodile, must not be used.

Pet accessories

All pet accessories sold in our stores, such as collars or bowls, undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they are safe and comfortable for the animal. Instructions for use are clearly stated on the label.

Exotic species

We do not sell exotic species (such as crocodile, ostrich, kangaroo) in any of our businesses or geographies and use The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to define exotic.

As a global business operating across a number of markets, we are committed to reviewing our frameworks and processes, contributing to raising industry standards and supporting our farming and supply chain partners to monitor and continuously improve animal welfare outcomes. Tesco works with independent technical experts that are able to provide strategic support for identified needs in relation to farm animal welfare policies/issues. In addition, through our technical experts, we continue to provide training to employees on farm animal welfare, ensuring that they have a firm understanding of priority issues. As a result, whilst adherence to farm animal welfare standards as articulated in species specific legislation is an absolute requirement of supplier contracts, with a clear escalation process followed in the event of non-compliance, we are also able to review and discuss animal welfare practices and priorities as part of ongoing supplier relationships.

See additional information in our animal health and welfare reporting.