Cranswick has been named as the only meat processor to achieve Tier One status in a global business benchmark of farm animal welfare.
The FTSE-listed Hull-headquartered operation joins M&S, Noble Foods and Waitrose at the pinnacle of the standard.
Only four from 150 bnenchmarked hit the top grade.
It is the fifth successive year it has made the BBFAW list, underlining consistency.
Adam Couch, chief executive of Cranswick Plc, said: “We are extremely proud to have received this accolade for the fifth year running.
“It is a huge result for all involved. Animal welfare is of paramount importance to us and we continue to strengthen our industry leading position in this important area.
“We are increasing the meat sourced through our own farms, enabling us to have a greater level of control over the wellbeing of our animals.
"We continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure that the raw materials and ingredients for our products are ethically sourced through tight and transparent supply chains. Animal welfare is intrinsic to meat integrity and we take our responsibilities in this area very seriously.”
The report praised Cranswick for demonstrating a strong commitment to animal welfare across its own operations and throughout its supply chain in the UK and globally. The findings also highlighted the clearly defined processes they have in place for managing the implementation of their animal welfare policy internally and throughout their supply chain.
It comes as it starts to supply McDonald’s with bacon from a new Hull site, while looking to increase its presence in the poultry sub-sector.
