We are the RSPCA's farm animal welfare assurance scheme - the only farm assurance scheme in the UK dedicated solely to improving farm animal welfare. RSPCA Assured is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RSPCA but is a charity in its own right and operates independently.

What's the difference between Freedom Food and RSPCA Assured?

We charge a membership fee based on the size and type of your business and - if applicable - a licence fee for use of the name and certification mark on products and menus. As a non-profit organisation, our fees are very competitive and are only there to help us cover the cost of your audit, including associated travel and administration costs. Recognition of the RSPCA Assured label encourages people to choose these products - which means greater demand for animals farmed to RSPCA welfare standards.

The standards are occasionally updated to take account of the latest scientific, veterinary and industry knowledge. We will let you know at least 60 days before any new standards have to be met.

The standards are challenging but practical and are designed to ensure that all animals have everything they need for a better quality of life, whether they are kept on large or small farms or indoor or outdoor production systems. They're set by the RSPCA's team of farm animal welfare experts and are based on leading scientific, veterinary and practical industry expertise.

There are currently RSPCA welfare standards for: pigs, laying hens, chickens, turkeys, ducks, beef cattle, veal cattle, sheep, dairy cattle, trout and salmon.

All RSPCA Assured members - including farms, hauliers, abattoirs, processors and packers - are subject to annual assessments by scheme assessors. In addition, risk-based monitoring visits are carried out by RSPCA farm livestock officers on a proportion of members annually, many of which are unannounced. Random traceability checks are carried out on RSPCA Assured products from supermarket shelf back to farm to check they are correctly labelled.

RSPCA Assured is unique in being the only UK farm assurance scheme dedicated solely to improving farm animal welfare and is the only scheme that uses higher welfare standards written by the RSPCA to help achieve this aim.