Friday 21 June 2019 - Brussels, 21 June 2019

In close collaboration with GAIA, the meat and meat processing brand Aosta has decided to gradually apply the 1-star Beter Leven (Best Life) label criteria to its poultry products.
Specifically, the chickens will no longer be very fast-growing strains, they will have access to daylight, straw and fresh grain, more space in the sheds, and the use of antibiotics will be greatly diminished.
Aosta thus becomes the first Belgian company to commit to the well-being of chickens.

By 31 December 2020, at the latest, all Aoste poultry products will meet the criteria of the 1 st mark of the Beter Leven * (Best Life) label.
The transition will be done in stages, the first of which will apply in June 2019 to "Chicken Nature" and "Chicken Curry".
Through this commitment, greater attention will be given to the welfare of chickens in breeding.
The Beter Leven label has, indeed, a series of precise criteria.
Farming must therefore use a slower growing strain of chickens, the number of birds per square meter is greatly reduced (12 instead of 25), animals must have access to a covered outdoor course, transport to the slaughterhouse can not exceed 3 hours, etc.
"Aosta is resolutely choosing to improve the well-being of chickens," says Ann De Greef, GAIA's director.
We can only congratulate the brand for this commitment.
Consumers can now opt for the supermarket for a product that is more respectful of animal welfare.
The decision of Aosta delight us a lot and we hope obviously that ultimately, his commitment will go up to the third star of the label.

Thomas De Boes, Marketing Manager Innovation at Aoste, explains:
"Animal welfare is a priority for Aosta.
Since the end of last year, the entire assortment of cooked ham has been passed under the label Beter Leven.
Today, we are delighted to have been able, in close collaboration with GAIA, to take the first step towards a more animal friendly poultry assortment.
Every step we take is a step in the right direction.
Our ambition is to treat all Aoste products in a more animal-friendly way by 2025. "

Via www.pouletbiendecheznous.be, GAIA has been campaigning for years against the industrial farming of chickens.
In addition to promoting plant alternatives, GAIA is also lobbying the consumer distribution and awareness sector to improve the living conditions of chickens.

The Dutch association Dierenbescherming has developed a label aimed at supporting more animal-friendly products.
It consists of the logo of the Dierenbescherming, accompanied by the mention Beter Leven.
This Beter Leven label is affixed to products whose manufacture takes into account animal welfare.
The more stars it has, the more animal welfare has been taken into account.