In light of Meat Free Week which commences today, Australian Organic has emphasised that consumers do not have to go ‘meat free’ to avoid factory farmed products.
Meat Free Week is a national campaign that was developed by Lainie Bracher and Melissa Dixon to shed light on the realities of factory farming practices, encouraging consumers to think about the amount of meat they consume and the impact that it has on individual health, the environment and animals.
Australian Organic, the owner of the country’s largest organic certification mark – Australian Certified Organic say that organic animals are not subjected to factory farming practices, and that businesses are audited each year to ensure that animals are raised to the highest welfare standards.
“Certified organic animals are free ranging, grass fed, grown without synthetic hormones and antibiotics. The animals are cared for in a way that respects their natural behaviours,” said Australian Organic spokesperson, Joanne Barber.
“This attitude doesn’t stop when the animal leaves the farm. They must be transported to strict standards and processed humanely. The meat must also be processed according to the certified organic rules – this means no synthetic nitrates. We can promise this because businesses that use the Australian Certified Organic logo are audited each year.”