BILLA starts Austria-wide conversion of service counters to fresh meat in animal welfare quality

Now BILLA is taking further measures and is starting to switch its service counters to fresh meat in animal welfare quality. In all 40 BILLA and 98 BILLA PLUS stores in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Burgenland, only fresh meat including chicken and turkey meat in organic or "Fair zum Tier" quality - and 100% from Austria - is available. The range includes 84 "Fair zum Tier" items (beef, pork and chicken) and 74 Ja! Natürlich meat products (beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey, veal). Depending on the season and region, an average of about 50 items are available in the service counters. The assortment will be successively expanded to all locations with a service area in Austria by the end of July 2023. Customers can thus be sure of choosing products in the stores that meet significantly higher animal welfare standards.

"By converting our service counters to fresh meat in animal welfare quality, we are taking an important step in the right direction and are taking decisive measures for the future of farm animals and agriculture in Austria. With our assortment in the markets, we can decide which products are most popular, just as our customers can decide with their purchases. In addition, our customers have the opportunity to buy animal meat, including chicken and turkey, with a clear conscience, and we are very proud of this," explains Simone Grossauer, Head of Fresh Meat Purchasing at BILLA.

The self-service animal welfare range at BILLA and BILLA PLUS currently includes 99 meat products. Customers can choose between 26 products (chicken, pork, beef and minced meat) with the "Fair zum Tier" label and 73 items (minced meat, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey and duck) of the organic brand Ja! Natürlich in the refrigerated shelves.

With domestic farmers for higher animal welfare standards

The "Fair zum Tier" criteria, which provide for significantly higher standards in the keeping of farm animals than those of the Austrian animal welfare laws, were determined with the help of an expert advisory board from science, agriculture and veterinary medicine and are regularly monitored by independent bodies. Andreas Herrmann, Head of Quality Management AMA: "We welcome BILLA's 'Fair zum Tier Initiative'. It means more space for the animals, improved comfort in the barn, among other things through littered lying areas, species-appropriate employment material as well as daylight and fresh air through additional windows, run or pasture. In addition, attention is paid to high-quality and GMO-free feed as well as short transport routes for the benefit of the animals and the climate."

"Our animal welfare programme 'Fair zum Tier' makes an important contribution to improving the housing conditions of farm animals in Austria. In addition to clear requirements such as more space, access to the outdoors, design of resting areas, etc., the commitment of the farmers is crucial. They know their animals best. For example, cattle spend at least 200 days on pasture and pigs have 100 % more space and straw-covered lying areas. Full slatted floors or tethering are not permitted. Compliance with the standards is ensured by regular inspections by independent inspection bodies. By buying products marked with the 'Fair zum Tier' label, Austrians are sending a signal for more animal welfare," says Tanja Dietrich-Hübner, Head of Sustainability at REWE International AG and patron of the "Fair zum Tier" initiative.

As an organic pioneer, BILLA's own brand Ja! Natürlich is one of Austria's largest organic brands. Launched more than 25 years ago, today's product range includes over 1,100 items that promise the highest quality from organic farming with the best taste. It stands for complete transparency and business in harmony with nature. Yes! Natürlich guarantees organic farmers in Austria a secure purchase and rewards the extra effort of organic farming. Under the motto "Organic in abundance", green packaging, i.e. environmentally friendly packaging, has been used for the products for years.

100 percent fresh meat and poultry from Austria

The origin of fresh meat, including chicken and turkey meat, also plays a decisive role when it comes to animal and climate protection. Since spring 2020, BILLA customers have been able to rely on the fact that 100 percent of the fresh meat, including chicken and turkey meat, comes from Austria. For about a year now, the serving areas and refrigerated shelves at BILLA PLUS have been stocked exclusively with turkey, chicken, beef and pork, and this year, for the first time, with waterfowl from local farms. This makes BILLA the only food retailer in the country to source all fresh meat, including turkey, from Austrian farms, regardless of the price segment.

The importance of origin is particularly evident in turkey farming. Austria's poultry producers work to very high animal welfare standards compared to the rest of the EU: The animals have up to 70 percent more space at their disposal. The stocking density per square metre for turkeys in Austria is limited by law to 40 kilos, while this value is significantly higher in almost all EU countries and is usually not regulated by law at all.