Animal Welfare label
The Danish Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, part of Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark) is the owner of the label 'Better Animal Welfare'. The label places significantly higher demands on animal welfare than both Danish and European legislation. With 3 simple levels, the Animal Welfare Label makes it easy for consumers in a food shopping situation to locate and choose products with high animal welfare: The more filled hearts, the better animal welfare.

Purpose of the Animal Welfare Label
The aim of the animal welfare label is to create better animal welfare for even more Danish pigs, dairy cattle, beef cattle and broilers. The label is developed by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration in collaboration with a large number of partners from the entire food chain, including manufacturers, veterinarians, slaughterhouses, retail chains, etc. Baltic Control® Certification has been responsible for the majority of the inspections in the registered herds since the label was introduced in 2017.

The three levels of the label
All three levels meet a number of basic animal welfare requirements, which are in addition to Danish and European legislation. This means a significant boost in animal welfare. The basic requirements are:

For pigs:

• Free-range sows (barns)
• Pigs should have curly tails. The tails should be whole - no tail cupping and no tail bite
• More straw as manipulative material and for nesting
• More space
• Maximum transportation time: 8 hours

For broilers:

• Slower growing breed
• Increased efforts against footpad injuries
• More space
• Shorter transportation time
• Enrichment in the form of coarse feed and manipulative material

For cattle:

• Better conditions in the stable
• Requirements for time together before separation of cow and calf
• Shorter transportation time

Products with one heart meet the basic requirements. For the two and three hearts, there are increasing animal welfare requirements.Please also visit the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's website for more information about the Animal Welfare Label: click here


Registered companies/associations:
A large number of leading Danish companies use this label and their suppliers are certified by Baltic Control® Certification:

• Arla Foods: Milk (for more information please click here)
• Danish Crown: Free-range pigs 3 hearts and Antonius pigs 2 hearts (for more information please click here)
• Danish Aberdeen Angus Association: Danish Angus Meat 2 hearts (for more information please click here)

Questions and registration:
If you have any questions regarding Animal Welfare Label certification, please do not hesitate to contact us on phone +45 86 21 62 11 or e-mail cert@balticcontrol.com.

If your as a company want to learn more about the Animal Welfare Label (in Danish): click here 
Registration and guides for the Animal Welfare Label (in Danish): click here