Mª José Sardoy, PLUSFRESC: “Stamps like Welfair® bring trust and transparency to the consumer.”
Animal welfare has become an increasingly important factor for consumers when choosing food products. In this context, food distribution plays a key role in making certified products more accessible and providing clear information about how food is produced.
We spoke with Mª José Sardoy, Head of Quality and Food Safety at PLUSFRESC, to find out how they integrate animal welfare into their value proposition and what role independent certifications play such as Welfair® when it comes to strengthening transparency, trust and consumer information at the point of sale.
What role does animal welfare play in PLUSFRESC's strategy?
Animal welfare occupies a strategic and cross-cutting role within PLUSFRESC's management. It is no longer just an ethical issue: it influences brand reputation, supplier relationships, sustainability, and consumer purchasing decisions.
Animal welfare has become an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions.
In recent years, consumer interest in animal welfare has grown significantly. How have you perceived this evolution from the point of sale?
We have observed a very clear shift in consumer preferences towards products that guarantee higher standards of animal welfare. This change is closely related to a greater social awareness towards sustainability and with the demand for more transparency in the food chain.
At the point of sale, this trend translates into greater interest in certified products and the gradual adaptation of our product range to meet these new expectations. Animal welfare has become an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions. In this context, certified labels help consumers more clearly identify products that meet proven animal welfare standards.
What value does it have for a supermarket chain to work with suppliers committed to animal welfare?
It has strategic value because it allows offering products aligned with certified sustainability and animal welfare criteria.
From the Quality department's perspective, this collaboration facilitates enhanced traceability, verifies compliance with standards, and reduces potential reputational risks. Furthermore, it helps consolidate PLUSFRESC's responsible positioning within the food distribution sector.
How does animal welfare influence the selection of products and suppliers within PLUSFRESC's product range?
Integrating animal welfare criteria into the selection of products and suppliers allows us to Strengthen our responsible positioning without sacrificing competitiveness.
It also makes it easier to work with committed suppliers who are prepared to meet increasingly demanding standards and certifications, which brings stability, consistency with our sustainability strategy and a competitive advantage based on value, not just price.
What kind of collaboration do you maintain with suppliers to promote improvements in animal welfare?
We maintain a continuous and improvement-oriented collaboration with our suppliers, understanding the Animal welfare as a shared projectThis relationship is based on aligning criteria and expectations (standards, certifications and quality requirements), monitoring to ensure compliance and working together on the evolution of the assortment towards options that better respond to new consumer demands.
In practice, We want the supplier not only to comply, but also to advance in the implementation of best practices. providing transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. In this way, animal welfare contributes to improving the quality of the product range, strengthening consumer confidence, and generating long-term value for both PLUSFRESC and the supplier.
How do certifications like Welfair® to offer greater transparency to consumers?
Stamps like Welfair® transform animal welfare into a measurable, auditable, and visible attribute. They allow it to cease being an abstract concept and become a concrete criterion for selection at the time of purchase.
Furthermore, being backed by independent assessments based on scientific indicators, they provide objective guarantees about the conditions of food production.
Stamps like Welfair® turn animal welfare into a measurable, auditable and visible attribute.
From your experience at the point of sale, how do these seals help to generate trust in products of animal origin?
At the point of sale, stamps such as Welfair® generate immediate confidence because they function as clear and visible signals that behind the product there is a real commitment to animal welfare.
They act as a bridge of trust between the producer and the consumer, making tangible and understandable a concept that would otherwise be difficult to evaluate, and facilitating more informed purchasing decisions.
What role can food distribution play in raising consumer awareness about animal welfare?
Food distribution plays a role key and proactive in raising consumer awareness because it directly connects products with the end consumer.
Providing clear and accessible information through labels, informational materials, or in-store signage helps make animal welfare tangible, reinforcing trust and promoting more conscious purchasing decisions, especially when this information is supported by recognized certifications.
How important is it to offer clear information at the point of sale about how food is produced?
It is essential for Build trust, highlight the quality and sustainability of the product and empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Furthermore, it strengthens customer relationships and fosters more responsible consumption habits.
The seal provides confidence and helps consumers identify products that meet audited standards.
The seal provides confidence and helps consumers identify products that meet audited standards.
How do PLUSFRESC consumers value the presence of a seal like Welfair® when choosing products of animal origin?
Many consumers value the presence of the seal positively. Welfair®, recognizing it as an indicator of commitment to animal welfare and greater transparency.
Although there is still room to further explain its specific meaning, the seal provides confidence and helps consumers identify products aligned with audited animal welfare standards.
Looking to the future, how do you think the demand for products that guarantee animal welfare will evolve?
We believe it will continue to grow, driven by greater ethical awareness and the perception that these products offer higher quality and sustainability, as well as a greater presence of recognized certifications in the market.
Over time, they will cease to be differentiated options and will become a regular part of the assortment.
How can consumer purchasing decisions contribute to promoting animal welfare in the food chain?
Every purchase decision It sends an economic and social message. throughout the entire chain: the more products that respect animal welfare are valued, the more responsible and sustainable practices in production and distribution will be promoted.