Whole Foods announces animal welfare rating system

Whole Foods Market Inc. plans to launch a color-coded animal welfare rating system telling shoppers how meats were raised and slaughtered. Based on standards written by the nonprofit Global Animal Partnership and enforced by third-party audits, the system grades chickens, pigs and beef from one to five.

The lowest rating for chicken requires it be raised without crates or cages, so the bird can at least spread its wings. The top rating goes to animals that spend all their lives and are slaughtered on the same farm. The finer details — from beak trimming, pig nose rings and minimum ages tolerated for castration — can be found at www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Whole Foods, which will roll out the program May 9, already sells only meat grown on vegetarian diets without added antibiotics or growth hormones. The Austin, Texas, chain, which has adopted sustainable seafood standards, is working on ratings for turkeys and sheep.