05 June 2007, 13:33 PM

  • Whole Foods Market boss, John Mackey, is to launch a strict new animal welfare labelling scheme.

The launch comes on the eve of the opening of Whole Food Market’s flagship London store, in Kensington.

The scheme has been developed with help from Compassion in World Farming and The natural and organic supermarket’s Five-Step Animal Welfare Rating Programme will see it labelling meat in five categories, according to how the animals were reared and treated.

It aims to minimise suffering by encouraging farming systems that allow animals to behave naturally.

The company’s objective is to source only UK-farmed fresh meat for its new store, which opens on High Street Kensington on 6th June.