Food cos need to have animal welfare policy: Survey

An overwhelming majority of the people who took part in a survey said food companies should have a comprehensive animal welfare policy so that animals are not tortured before being killed.

The Animal Equality India, a prominent animal protection organisation, has conducted the survey among 1002 people in 11 cities across the country.

While 86 per cent of the respondents think animals killed for food should not be subjected to torture beforehand, 94 per cent felt food companies should have a comprehensive animal welfare policy, the organisation said in a statement.

A sizeable 82 per cent stated that they will opt for a food company which adhered to laid down animal welfare standards than a company which did not, while 78 per cent felt that the government should make stronger laws, so that animals used for food are not tortured during captivity.

The survey was carried out by in Ahmedabad, Bangaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and Shillong during December 2017.

Many food companies in the hospitality, restaurant, food manufacturing and food service sector abroad have introduced animal welfare policies due to growing consumer demand to have animal welfare standards, the statement said.

"But India is lagging behind. We have reached out to more than 50 food companies in India requesting them to introduce policies to reduce unnecessary suffering of animals," Animal Equality's Executive Director Amruta Ubale said.

Animal Equality works for a world without animal suffering and collaborates with major food companies to adopt and strengthen meaningful farmed animal protection policies.