Animal welfare

Caring about animal welfare

We work with our suppliers to ensure high standards of animal welfare based on the Five Freedoms endorsed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council:

  1. Freedom from hunger and thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
  2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
  3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
  4. Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
  5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Iceland fully supports the introduction and daily management of CCTV in stunning and slaughter areas (and shackling areas in the case of poultry) to ensure adherence to animal welfare standards. CCTV must be monitored on a very regular basis by personnel who have been trained in accordance with the relevant Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (WASK) and the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations (WATOK). Any legal animal welfare breaches must be highlighted immediately to the Iceland Technical Manager.

All animals and poultry used for the production of Iceland own label products must be stunned before slaughter, and the stunning methods used must be compliant with those laid down in EU Directive 119/1993. This means that, prior to slaughter, animals must be stunned so that they are immediately rendered unconscious and maintained in that state until death.

Iceland has committed to end the sale of eggs from caged hens in its UK stores by 2025.

Read more here.