Paris, July 16, 2026
Seven years after its launch, the Animal Welfare Label has reached another major milestone: its entire rating scale, from Level A to Level E, is now available on store shelves. Until now, only animal products meeting the highest standards were marketed with the label. Now, for broiler chickens, consumers can also identify products classified as Level E, which correspond to the rearing conditions least favorable to animal welfare.
Products with the highest ratings continue to be highlighted, while the inclusion of the entire rating scale provides, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of farming, transport, and slaughter practices. This development reinforces the primary purpose of the Animal Welfare Label: to provide consumers with transparent, comparable, and understandable information.
Unprecedented transparency made possible by Carrefour
This breakthrough is made possible by thanks to Carrefour's commitment, first A major retail chain is rolling out the Animal Welfare Label on the vast majority of its private-label products, with ratings ranging from A to E:
- Levels A and B in the Carrefour Bio, Filière Qualité Carrefour, Reflets de France, and Carrefour Poulet Fermier product lines;
- Level C in the Carrefour "Oui au Mieux " line;
- Level E in the Simpl line.
By choosing transparency, Carrefour helps make information accessible to all consumers and encourages continuous improvement in practices within the livestock industry.
A multi-tiered labeling system: a recognized tool for better informing consumers and providing better support to farmers
A real step forward on store shelves, Level E—developed by the Animal Welfare Label Association—allows for the labeling of all products that do not meet the requirements of Levels A, B, C, and D. Level E represents the minimum standard for animal welfare, and, unlike the other levels, no specific audit is conducted.
Beyond this step forward, the Animal Welfare Label illustrates the value of a multi-tiered labeling system over a simple label. Whereas a label merely identifies products that meet a given set of specifications, a labeling system allows consumers to objectively compare products with one another and make informed purchasing decisions. In fact, as early as 2021, the European Commission recommended the development of a voluntary, multi-tiered animal welfare labeling system to reflect the diversity of farming practices, incorporate existing initiatives, and provide consumers with transparent and comparable information. In France, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) reached similar conclusions in its opinion published in 2024: experts recommend a multi-tiered classification system to account for different levels of animal welfare.
A label that complies with the new European transparency requirements
“The Animal Welfare Label addresses a growing demand for transparency and reliability of information, in line with the European ‘Empowering Consumers’ directive. By making animal welfare levels comparable, this label reduces the risk of ‘welfare washing’ and improves clarity for consumers,” says Alain Boissy, president of the Animal Welfare Label Association.
“We call for this labeling initiative to be recognized in public policy, particularly within the framework of programs such as Egalim, in order to promote best practices in animal welfare and strengthen consumer confidence.”
Carrefour’s commitment shows that full transparency is now achievable! The Association encourages all major retail chains, as well as national brands, to widely adopt the Animal Welfare Label, from Level A through Level E.
