Virgin Trains wins 2010 RSPCA Good Business Award
- Oct 19, 2010
Virgin Trains has been presented with the RSPCA Good Business Award for its catering services.
The prize was awarded for Virgin Trains’ on-board animal welfare-friendly breakfast menu which features free range eggs and meats reared to RSPCA welfare standards.
The RSPCA Good Business Awards recognise ethical business approaches to animal welfare in the food and fashion industries.
The food awards judge UK businesses that go the extra mile for animal welfare and help tackle issues including: standards of animal care on farms; live transport and slaughter; import of meat and eggs and the clear labelling of produce.
Virgin Trains is the only UK train operator to show a commitment to animal welfare in its on-board catering facilities.
Nic Cuthbertson, Product Development Manager at Virgin Trains, said: “Animal welfare is incredibly important to everyone here at Virgin Trains and we are absolutely delighted with our award win.
“With tens of millions of livestock and hundreds of millions of poultry used in UK food production every year, animal welfare is a big issue and it is essential that market leaders, such as Virgin Trains, set an example to the rest of the catering industry.”
Virgin Trains also stock a range of Fairtrade and organic products as part of its on-board food service.
The RSPCA welfare standards are developed with the help of practical farming experience and scientific research to provide achievable, best practice guidelines which ensure farmed animals have a good quality of life.
The Freedom Food scheme enables producers and retailers to label products, which adhere to welfare standards, making them visible to consumers who consider the ethical implications when choosing food products.
Studies have shown that a large proportion of consumers are concerned about the living conditions of farmed animals. A Eurobarometer survey from 2005* showed that 43% of European shoppers consider the welfare of animals when buying meat products.
At Virgin we believe it is important to continue to meet our customers’ needs whilst also contributing to the creation of more sustainable lifestyles at the same time.
* “Attitudes of consumers towards the welfare of farmed animals” (2005)
The RSPCA is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is the oldest and largest animal welfare charity in the world.
