Good Pig Award Criteria

How to apply for a Good Pig Award

To apply for a Good Pig Award you need to be a well-known or notable food company that can satisfy the welfare criteria below, either as a current policy or on a five year commitment basis.

There are three types of award available:

1. Good Sow Commendation for meeting the welfare critieria for sows
2. Good Pig Commendation for meeting the welfare critieria for meat pigs
3. Good Pig Award for meeting the welfare critiera for both sows and meat pigs

You can apply for a Good Pig Award in four different food categories:

• Fresh pork
• Fresh bacon, gammon and sausage
• Cured and cooked hams and sliced meats
• Further processed or ingredient

Welfare criteria for sows

1. No confinement (sow stalls/gestation crates) during the dry period (including the observation period*)
2. No confinement during farrowing and lactation (farrowing crates):
   • Short duration confinement for management purposes limited to 2 hours at a time
   • Minimum farrowing pen size: 6.9m2 with at least 5.9m2 available to the sow and 1m2 for the creep area]
   • In case of temporary crates, monitoring system in place to ensure the crate is operated in open position
   • An active monitoring/improvement programme for pre-wean mortality must be in place
3. Provision of adequate manipulable material and bedding throughout life.

* Observation period: period (typically 4 weeks) following service and until pregnancy diagnosis

Welfare criteria for meat pigs

1. No tail docking  -  you must have an active monitoring programme and contingency plan for the incidence of tail biting.
2. No teeth clipping/grinding – you must have an active monitoring programme for piglet facial damage and sow udder damage.
3. No surgical castration - effective pain relief should be provided during any phase out period
4. Provision of adequate manipulable material and bedding throughout life.

Statement of Intent: Adoption of Humane Slaughter Systems for Pigs

Every award applicant is required to sign a Statement of Intent to:

• Actively press your suppliers, and give further encouragement to government, to find humane alternatives to high concentration CO2 stunning, as a matter of urgency;
• Support the call for the use of high concentrations of CO2 for the killing of pigs to be legally prohibited, and new, humane systems to be developed and commercially available to replace the use of high concentrations of CO2;
• To be prepared to invest in more humane alternatives when commercially available.

How to apply

Companies can apply via their engagement with the Food Business team and on completion of an application form signed at Director level.

If you are a retailer, we will assume you are entering on the basis of your own-label pig meat in the above food categories, EXCLUDING any branded pig meat lines you sell.

Where an application is made on a commitment basis, Compassion will remain in contact with award winners over the commitment period, to assess progress made and provide continued support. 

Find out more about pig welfare

Click here to view the information sheets that support the Good Pig Award criteria.

If you would like to find out more, please contact the Food Business Team.