Tips on welfare

The European Food Safety Authority has published the first of several scientific opinions yet to come with detailed suggestions on how to improve the welfare of all categories of farmed pigs kept in the most suboptimal husbandry systems used in the European Union. 

• The opinions were requested by the European Commission as a key component of its Farm to Fork strategy, and aim to answer problems raised by the European Citizens' Initiative "End the Cage Age."

A total of 16 welfare consequences for different husbandry systems are described, including restriction of movement; group, heat, or cold stress; prolonged hunger or thirst; and other related animal-based measures and hazards. 

• Most importantly, measures to prevent or correct the welfare consequences were also provided, based on the EFSA's expert scientific opinion and evidence.

On September 26, the EFSA will hold a public event that will present the results of the scientific opinion and the work on animal transport, with a Q&A session.