ASPCA’S New Text-An-Expert Service Answers Grocery Shoppers’ Questions About Farm Animal Welfare

New York, N.Y.— Today the ASPCA’s^® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) Shop With Your Heart program released a new, interactive tool, the ShopKind Helpline, which allows consumers to ask common animal welfare-related questions and get fast answers, all by text message.

Recent studies show that consumers are paying closer attention to how food makes it to their plates, and one of their top concerns is farm animal welfare. Unfortunately, with the staggering number of claims and labels now plastering every package, a simple shopping trip can become overwhelming, and consumers may end up purchasing products that don’t match their values.

“Shoppers see undercover investigations and hear about the negative animal welfare, environmental and human health impacts of factory farming and are left searching for trustworthy, higher welfare options in their grocery stores,” said Daisy Freund, Senior Director, ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare Department. “Sadly, the many unverified and misleading welfare labels and claims on meat, eggs and dairy products can lead to well-meaning consumers making poorly-informed purchases that don’t help animals.”

The ASPCA’s new ShopKind Helpline will offer consumers immediate, automated text assistance by simply entering a cell phone number on the Helpline’s website. Users instantly receive an automated text offering guidance on how to buy higher-welfare chicken, beef, pork, turkey, eggs and dairy products, along with information on plant-based alternatives and local welfare-certified farms. Users are also free to ask more specific questions to receive a tailored response from an ASPCA expert.

“Farm animal welfare is a complicated topic, made more so by loose food labeling laws,” said Freund. “The ASPCA ShopKind Helpline takes some of the fraught guess-work out of food shopping and makes it easier for people to support a more compassionate farming system with every food purchase.”

For more information or to sign up for the ShopKind Helpline, visit www.aspca.org/ShopKindHelpline.