Inspections and audits

The Better Life label Foundation (BLLF): demonstrably contributing to increasing and improving animal welfare

The Better Life label (BLL) is owned by the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals. The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals is responsible for determining the overall policy, strategy, and criteria, including sanctions, of the label. For consumers who purchase products with the Better Life label, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals serves as the primary point of contact for questions regarding the label.

The Better Life label Foundation (BLLF) is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and enforcing the use of the label. For participants of the BLL, such as livestock farms and processing companies, the BLLF is the primary contact. The Foundation’s mission is to contribute to a demonstrable improvement in the welfare of farm animals. The BLLF ensures that participants meet the standards and requirements set forth by the BLLF.

Monitoring participants

Both in the Netherlands and abroad, all participants of the Better Life label are audited by selected, independent, and accredited Certification Bodies (CBs). The criteria that CBs assess, vary depending on the type of business. At livestock farms and slaughterhouses, they monitor animal welfare, while in subsequent stages of the supply chain, they verify that products with the label genuinely come from animals that have led a better life.

In addition to the regular annual audits, supplementary inspections are conducted based on a risk analysis. These additional inspections may be carried out in sectors with higher risk levels or following previous concerns. Additionally, products at processing companies are traced through the entire chain to verify that they indeed meet the Better Life criteria.

Sanctions

If an inspector finds a violation of the Better Life criteria, the company in question receives a sanction. The severity of the sanction depends on the seriousness of the violation. Sanctions can range from mild, such as administrative handling or a re-inspection, to severe, such as a suspension. In cases of very serious violations, a participant may even be excluded from the label, which means the approval to produce under the label is revoked.

Supervision of Certification Bodies

The BLLF also oversees the CBs to ensure that they carry out inspections accurately and consistently. To this end, the BLLF employs an “integrity program”. This program includes individual assessments of CBs through office audits, regular consultations, witness audits or shadow inspections, and harmonization meetings among the different CBs. Oversight and monitoring are based on the Acceptance Regulations and Certification Regulations. The Acceptance Regulations outline the requirements a CB must meet to conduct inspections for the BLL, while the Certification Regulations describe the conditions a participant must meet to receive certification. More information about the Regulations can be found here.

Participants’ responsibility

Although the Foundation encourages its participants to continuously improve, ultimately the participants themselves remain responsible for complying with the criteria. The BLLF cannot be present everywhere at all times and does not have unlimited investigative powers. Therefore, the Foundation does what is feasible within the limits of a private label.

Refining control methods

Despite the participants’ own responsibility, the BLLF consistently works on enhancing and refining its control methods. For example, the Foundation promotes the introduction of smart video surveillance in slaughterhouses, uses DNA analysis to verify the BLL status of products, and engages accountants to conduct financial investigations to detect potential cases of fraud. Furthermore, the BLLF uses artificial intelligence to improve its data analysis and uses (anonymous) reports to respond effectively to misconduct. This increases the likelihood of identifying companies that do not adhere to the criteria. In doing so, the BLLF not only protects those who value animal welfare, such as consumers buying BLL products and companies that comply with the rules, but also makes a significant contribution to increasing and improving animal welfare overall.