With Christmas around the corner, many Australians will be looking to buy a Christmas ham. But it’s not easy to find out whether your Christmas ham was raised in high welfare conditions. For even the most dedicated ethical shopper it can be difficult to buy better, and to use your purchasing power to improve welfare standards for pigs.

This year, World Animal Protection surveyed major supermarkets and brands and ranked their Christmas hams against World Animal Protection's nine key animal welfare categories. The result is Your Responsible Christmas Ham Guide.

Of the six Christmas hams ranked, there are two higher welfare hams available – one at Woolworths and the other at Coles.

Disappointingly, ALDI and IGA refused to complete the survey and so couldn’t be included in the ranking. All major pork brands such as Primo, Otway, Bertocchi, Dorsogna and Tibaldi declined to participate in the guide, so the animal welfare standards of their Christmas hams also couldn’t be evaluated.

Amber Jacobus, Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection said: “Increasingly Australian families are putting more thought on their fork. They want to know where their food comes from and what sort of life the animal had.

“It’s unacceptable that some supermarkets and brands couldn’t or wouldn’t provide us with detailed information on their animal welfare practises. Consumers have no way of knowing whether the pigs were well treated, and what specific conditions they were raised in.

“This lack of transparency is a slap in the face for Australians who are increasingly concerned about animal welfare.

“If you are planning to buy a ham this Christmas, use Your Responsible Ham Guide to make a better animal welfare choice for pigs and your family.

“Use your purchasing power to send a clear message to the pig industry and major retailers that animal welfare matters to you, and your family.”

Australian farming standards for pigs have not been updated in a decade. This means that while farmers may meet basic legal obligations, recent scientific developments are not necessarily being implemented and community expectations about how farmed pigs should be treated are not being met.

Mother pigs can spend large portions of their lives alone in cramped cages that are not even big enough for them to turn around. They can become lame and suffer intense stress leading to them biting the bars that confine them, injuring themselves and becoming depressed.

Does animal welfare matter to you when you are shopping for food?