What YOU can do

As a consumer and an animal lover, there are many ways that you can help make a difference to the welfare of food animals by the choices you make every day

EAT LESS MEAT

As well as having benefits for your own health, eating less meat means that fewer animals are involved in its production and fewer suffer as a consequence.

CHOOSE MEAT THAT HAS BEEN SLAUGHTERED CLOSE TO THE POINT OF PRODUCTION

For example, the further a pig has to travel, the more stress and discomfort it has to endure. A trade in chilled and frozen meat removes the need for animals to travel long distances in stressful conditions.

HIGHER WELFARE MEAT

Where possible select foods produced under better welfare conditions. Higher welfare products such as free range pork or chicken are not produced in great quantities in either China or Hong Kong. When choosing animal based products always select a higher welfare alternative such as “Free Range” or “Outdoor Bred” where possible (these may originate overseas e.g. from Europe or New Zealand).

REQUEST YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET STOCK HIGHER WELFARE PRODUCTS

Remember trends in food production are always led by consumer demand.

AVOID IMPORTED FOODS PRODUCED UNDER INHUMANE CONDITIONS

Fois gras and veal are both popular items in expensive Hong Kong restaurants and both are often produced under some of the worst animal welfare conditions of any meat product.

SELECT FOODS PRODUCED UNDER BETTER WELFARE CONDITIONS

“Barn eggs” produced from hens which have space to perch, nest and express normal behaviour may be slightly more expensive than battery eggs but result in far fewer welfare insults to the hens which produce them.

DO NOT BUY FRESH POULTRY FROM PLACES WHERE CONSCIOUS SLAUGHTER IS PRACTISED

The conscious slaughter of poultry constitutes one of the most significant animal welfare abuses in Hong Kong. Many thousands of birds every day could be spared a great deal of pain, fear and distress by the simple act of being rendered unconscious before slaughter.