Whole Foods Leads WSPA's Humane Grocery Store Rankings
Whole Foods has topped a World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) study of the most humane grocery stores. Whole Foods had nearly double the score of its closest rivals.
The majority of U.S. animals raised for meat, eggs and dairy spend their lives confined in factory-style farms. Generally animals raised under humane food programs are given access to sunlight, fresh air, and freedom of movement. Levels of animal welfare can be identified by a variety of labels on food packaging, which are often misleading to consumers. WSPA rates food labels such as “free range,” “USDA organic” and “cage free” in terms of the way the animals raised for food are treated and aims to educate consumers about what food labels to choose and which ones to avoid.
The 2009 survey recorded products in four categories: dairy, eggs, unprocessed meat and poultry, and processed meat and poultry (bacon, ham, hot dogs). Stores were ranked using a point system based on the quality and variety of the food products available on the shelves.
Whole Foods scored the highest by far, offering twice as many humanely labeled products per store as the two companies tied for second -- Shaw’s Supermarkets and Publix Super Markets. Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest food retailer, scored near the bottom. The lowest in the survey was Save-A-Lot Food Stores with no humanely labeled products found in its stores. For complete store rankings and survey results visit www.EatHumane.org.
The top five ranked stores and their scores were:
Whole Foods Market - 83
Shaw's Supermarket, Inc. - 42
Publix Super Market - 42
Hy-Vee Inc.- 36
Ralphs (Kroger, Co.)- 33
You can see a list of the top ten grocery stores here. A full list of stores and the rankings can be downloaded from the WSPA here. The WSPA also provides a website called Eat Humane that helps shoppers find animal-friendly foods at the grocery store.
Whole Foods has topped a World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) 
