Food Sources - Reared Food
Food Preparation & Nutrition: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.3
Factory-Farmed Animals
Humans raise some animals purely for their meat and other food offerings. We call these animals reared animals. Factory-farming animals is another type of intensive farming.
Environment
- Often, factory-farmed animals are crammed into small spaces (like enclosures/cages).
- They are kept in warm environments so that energy waste from movement and keeping warm is minimised.
- If this kind of energy wastage is minimised, the animals have more energy for producing food.
Hormones and force-feeding
- To speed up animal growth, factory farmers may force-feed animals or supply them with growth hormones.
- This speeds up and cheapens the meat production process.
Advantages
- Factory-farmed products tend to be less expensive than free-range foods as the farming process is more efficient.
- Less land is used.
- Can grow animals faster in larger quantities.
Disadvantages
- Animals are more prone to disease and are slaughtered young.
- Animals cannot behave naturally.
- Animals live in crowded conditions, which causes stress.
- Drugs used in factory farming can enter the food chain and affect humans.
- Factory-farmed products may be less tasty than free-range products.
Battery cages
- In 2012, the EU banned battery cages - small wire cages hens live in.
- Newly introduced 'enriched cages' offer more space and larger nesting areas.
Free-Range Food
As people have grown more concerned for the welfare of reared animals, people have invested more in free-range food.
Free-range animals
- We get free-range food from animals that can freely roam or animals that live in a more spacious environment than factory-farmed animals.
- Free-range animals are never given growth hormones.
- Their welfare is of a higher standard than factory-farmed animals, meaning they usually enjoy better lives.
Disadvantages
- Food production is lower because animals use energy moving around and grow more slowly than factory-farmed animals.
- More land is needed for this form of farming, so production costs are higher than with factory farming.
- As production costs are higher, free-range products cost more.
Labels
- Certain food labels indicate that foods meet certain food standards.
- Quality Standard Mark - for lamb and beef. Guarantees food safety and quality, animal welfare and sustainability.
- Red Tractor logo - producer meets the Assured Food Standards required standards for the hygiene, environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety.
Labels (cont.)
- RSPCA Assured logo - food adheres to the RSPCA's strict welfare standards. Can be located on meat, fish and eggs.
- LEAF Marque Linking Environment and Farming - found on fresh foods. Guarantees food has been produced sustainably.
Test yourself on Food Sources - Reared Food
What do we call animals that are raised purely for their meat and other food offerings?
What are the disadvantages of free-range food?
What do we call food products that come from animals who were free to roam?