Farms that produce free-range turkeys could consider making the printed labels advertising this more prominent following the results of a survey by the RSPCA.
It discovered that one in three adults intends to choose a bird with a higher welfare label this Christmas, with only one in ten intending to purchase the largest, cheapest turkey they can find.
Indeed, 1.4 million turkeys with Freedom Food printed labels were sold in December 2010 and this number is expected to grow further this year.
However, the peelable labels detailing which birds are reared in an ethical way may need to be clearer, as half of those surveyed said they think more than 20 per cent of UK turkeys are brought up to higher welfare standards.
Actually, the figure is only seven per cent.
According to BritishTurkey.co.uk, the UK spends £1.6 billion on food and drink at Christmas, but turkey has only been standard festive fare since the 1950s. Before then, it was considered a luxury.
Denny Bros Ltd, 13 December 2011
