Morrisons First UK Retailer to Achieve Animal Welfare Accreditation

08 Aug 2014 --- Morrisons is the first food retailer whose colleagues have achieved the Welfare of Animals at the Time Of Killing (WATOK) qualifications.

The WATOK qualification assesses and confirms the competence of individuals in ensuring the highest possible standards of welfare of animals at the point of slaughter.

Morrisons colleagues at its abattoirs in Colne, Spalding and Turriff are the first in the UK to earn the accreditation.

Tony Higginson, Senior Animal Welfare Manager at Morrisons said: “We are proud to be the first retailer whose colleagues have attained the WATOK qualification. “The welfare of animals is incredibly important to both us and our customers and we are continuing to lead the way in ensuring every animal that passes through our abattoirs is treated with the highest standard of care.”

EU regulations on the protection and monitoring of the welfare of animals entering the food chain states that everyone involved in handling a live animal at the time of killing needs a certificate of competence to operate.

Morrisons is the first to put its colleagues through the process of accreditation with Tony Higginson becoming a certified WATOK assessor to ensure even more Morrisons colleagues can complete the course.

Morrisons worked with FDQ, a specialist food industry awarding organisation, focussed on improving skills and knowledge in the food industry through qualifications.

FDQ Standards and Quality Director, Derek Williams, said: “FDQ is particularly pleased to have worked closely with our centre Food and Drink Training Solutions and with Morrisons to complete the very first Welfare of Animals at Time of Killing (WATOK) qualification achievements in England.

“We would like to extend our congratulations to Tony Higginson at Morrisons who has established good practice arrangements for training and has provided good levels of support to learners to ensure that high standards in assessment are maintained.”