Clarified - what we mean and do when we say 'animal welfare'

The term “animal welfare” can mean many things to different people. At PB Leiner, we are all for clarity, so we would like to share with you what ‘animal welfare’ means to us, and what you can expect when you work with us.

What we support

Animals should be treated with respect. That is why, together with our sector federation GME (Gelatine Manufacturers Of Europe), we are committed to supporting all reasonable measures aimed at improving animal welfare, based on the “Five Freedoms” defined by the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health). These self-explanatory freedoms are: Freedom from hunger and thirst, Freedom from discomfort, Freedom from pain, injury and disease, Freedom to express normal behavior, Freedom from fear and distress.

What we do

At PB Leiner, we do not ourselves have live animals under our care, but we have put a number of actions in place to ensure that our partners work to uphold animal welfare.

• When a new collaboration is being set up, we ensure that our partners observe all applicable legislation (at the bottom of this statement you will find a non-comprehensive list of the current applicable legislation per region). And by signing our supplier Code of Conduct and/or agreements, suppliers commit to treating animals humanely, including minimizing pain and stress.
• Our existing partners are being followed up on a regular basis. This includes not only questionnaires, but also, importantly, visual inspections and audits.

When we find that a supplier does not uphold the principles of animal welfare, we will work with them to improve, but will eventually, if necessary, terminate our collaboration.

Furthermore, as a member of global and local work groups and sector federations, such as GROW and GME, we actively lobby for better global conditions for animals across the globe.

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A non-comprehensive list of the current applicable legislation per region:

 

Europe: European and intra-Europe national animal welfare legislation and legislation for verification of compliance throughout the supply chain

• Council Directive 98/58/EC: protection of animals kept for farming purposes
• Council Directive 2008/119/EC: minimum standards for the protection of calves
• Council Directive 2008/120/EC: minimum standards for the protection of pigs
• Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005: protection of animals during transport and related operations
• Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009: protection of animals at the time of killing

USA:

Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America ( GMIA) ensures compliance with the relevant federal regulations and guidelines set forth by USDA, APHIS and CFIA that pertain to animal welfare, handling and transportation as well as humane slaughter practices.

Brazil:

• Normative Instruction No. 03 / 2000 - Approves the Technical Regulation of Stunning Methods for the Humane Slaughter of Butcher Animals

• Normative Instruction No. 56 / 2008 - Establishes the general procedures for Recommendations of Good Welfare Practices for Animals of Production and Economic Interest - REBEM, covering production and transport systems.

• Decree No. 9,013/2017 - Approves the new Regulation of Industrial and Sanitary Inspection of Animal Products

Argentina:

Decree 4238/1968, Chapter 32 Animal Welfare

Paraguay:

Law nº 4840

Uruguay:

Law nº 18471

China:

The Animal Husbandry Law of the People’s Republic of China (amended in 2015).

India:

Section 48 of the Indian Constitution and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.