Lamb and mutton
In Sweden, 1.61 kg of lamb and mutton was consumed per person in 2019. Approximately 30 percent of this amount was produced in Sweden in 2019, which can be compared with about 60 percent in 1995. Imports come mainly from Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. During 2018 and 2019, a reduction in imports was noted along with an increase in the Swedish share of consumption.
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| Information about the origin of the raw material - meat | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Transparency and traceability in the food chain are important in order to be able to check sustainability parameters in the supply chain. By requiring that information about the origin of the raw-material is to be available and controllable, the procuring organization assures that traceability in the food chain is possible. Criterion text For products made from meat, information must be provided about the country(ies) of origin of the raw material(s), and this must be available for examination when a tender is submitted. This information must also be made available or provided on request throughout the term of the contract, including for any substitute items. Information about the commodity's country(ies) of origin shall include:
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| Transport of animals to slaughter | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Animals that are transported to slaughter can be subjected to varying levels of physical and mental stress. When animals are transported over long distances, their stress can increase; it is therefore important to uphold animal welfare and keep journey times to a minimum. Criterion text Meat must be sourced from animals that have been transported for no longer than eight hours to slaughter. The transport time is how long it takes for a shipment to arrive from the point of departure to its destination, including loading and unloading. If the transport time to the nearest slaughterhouse exceeds eight hours, the transport time may on isolated occasions be extended by a maximum of three hours if the vehicle meets at least the following conditions for long-distance transportation:
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| Feeding during lairage | Advanced | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Animals that are not killed immediately upon arrival at the slaughterhouse are put in lairage and may need to spend the night at the slaughterhouse. It is then important that the animals are fed so that their basic needs are met. Criterion text Meat shall be sourced from animals that are fed if the total time for transport to slaughter and lairage exceeds twelve hours. The feed shall be appropriate for the species and supplied in sufficient quantities. Ruminants shall be provided with roughage. | ||||
| Stunning before slaughter – meat | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Slaughter methods that involve animals being stunned before slaughter are very important from an animal-welfare perspective. The basic rule within the EU is that animals shall be stunned before slaughter, but member states may grant exceptions for religious or cultural reasons. Most member states grant such exceptions, but Sweden, Norway, Denmark and others do not. Criterion text Meat must be sourced from animals that have been fully stunned and are completely unconscious when they are bled. Consciousness may not return during the period between when the animal has been stunned and it has been confirmed dead, regardless of stunning method. | ||||
| EU-organic product | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Organic production promotes sustainable agriculture. Organic farming should respect nature's ecosystems and different natural cycles, and strive to maintain and improve the quality of soil, water, plant health and the health of animals. The balance between all elements is to be maintained and preferably improved. Criterion text Food products must be produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliment and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products. | ||||
| Responsibly produced soy | Advanced | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information A large percentage of the soy used in European feed production comes from South America. The cultivation of soy has far-reaching negative consequences on the environment and human health due to high pesticide use, risk of establishment of new croplands in species-rich forest and savannah areas, soil erosion and the working conditions for labourers and the surrounding community. Procuring authorities may request that soy included in feed be cultivated in a responsible manner. Criterion text Soy used as feed must be traceable through a segregated supply chain or covered by a certificate that ensures compliance with the following:
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| Surgical procedures under anaesthesia – meat and milk from lamb, sheep and goat | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Castration of male lambs can be done to prevent unwanted mating when the lambs have reached sexual maturity, amongst other things. Goats may be dehorned to prevent them from harming each other. Without anaesthesia, such surgical procedures cause both pain and stress for the animals, regardless of their age. Contracting organisations can contribute to ensuring that surgical procedures are carried out with less pain and stress for the animals by requiring the use of anaesthesia. Criterion text Meat and milk products must be derived from animals that have been anaesthetised during any and all surgical procedures, including castration and dehorning. Dehorning by caustic paste, and castration by rubber ring are not permitted. | ||||
| Grazing and outdoor access - meat and milk from lamb, sheep and goat | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Allowing animals to graze and spend time outside is positive for their health and gives the animals good opportunities to behave naturally. Well-managed grazing is also a resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable way of raising animals because it reduces the need for other feed. Animals can graze in grasslands, fields, or land that cannot be used for producing other types of food. Contracting authorities that set requirements for grassland farming and/or time spent in the open air also contribute to grazing that can have positive effects on biological diversity. Criterion text Meat and milk products must be derived from animals that have been able to graze or otherwise have access to the outdoors for a continuous period of at least two months per year during the grazing season as defined in the country of production. | ||||
| Responsible use of antibiotics - meat and milk | Core | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information High and improper use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is associated with an increased prevalence of resistant bacteria.1 Increased antibiotics resistance constitutes a public health threat worldwide, and is an important sustainability challenge.2 Contracting authorities that set criteria regarding the responsible use of antibiotics can contribute to antibiotics being used only when necessary for the sake of an animal's health. Criterion text Animal food products must be derived from animal production where antibiotics are not used for the purpose of promoting growth or routinely as a preventative measure. Antibiotics may be given only to sick animals or as prescribed by a veterinarian to animals in groups in which disease has broken out, after a diagnosis of clinical disease in part of the group has been established. The total number of medical treatments must be documented along with the reasons for treatment and medical preparations used. 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones may be used only when microbiological examination and antimicrobial susceptibility tests show that there are no effective alternatives.
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| Organic product - supplementary lamb and mutton | Advanced | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information In organic production feed must be largely produced on the farm itself, be free from GMOs and must be grown without the use of unnatural chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers. Contracting authorities that set the sustainability requirement at the advanced level for organic product also contribute to the implementation of extra measures for improving animal welfare and environmental sustainability, such as longer grazing period. Criterion text Products of lamb and mutton must be produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliment and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products, as well as the following requirements:
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| Meat from semi-natural pastures - Grazing on semi-natural pastures - Lamb and mutton | Spearhead | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information The management of semi-natural pastures is important to rich biological diversity and contributes, amongst other things, to the A Varied Agricultural Landscape and A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life environmental objectives. Contracting authorities that procure meat from semi-natural pastures contribute to the continued preservation of those pasture grounds, as well as an increased biological diversity. Criterion text Lamb and mutton must be derived from animals that have had outdoor access and access to pasture troughout the whole day during the grazing season. For at least half of the grazing period, animals must graze on semi-natural pastures—that is, natural grasslands that have not been fertilised (apart from the natural dung of the grazing animals), ploughed, watered or worked with machines for at least 20 years. | ||||
| Feed without GMO-content | Spearhead | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information EU legislation is restrictive with regards to approving the cultivation and import of GMO crops. The use of GMOs in feed is however common in the EU, mainly soya feed, and production mainly takes place outside of the EU.1 For soya 78% of the globally cultivated area is for genetically modified crops.2 Contracting authorities that aim to avoid GMOs being used in the production of foodstuffs of animal origin can request that products should come from animals that have not eaten GMO fodder. Criterion text Product of animal origin must be derived from animals whose feed used in the breeding did not contain GMOs in amounts that require labelling according to Directive 2001/18/EC Article 30.2. | ||||
| Products of oil palm in animal feed | Spearhead | Technical specification | ||
Criterion information Palm oil and its by-products are amongst the most important commercial products in the world and are used in a great variety of products, including animal feed. The production of palm oil has been connected with deforestation, increased carbon dioxide emissions and negative effects on the ecosystems of sensitive areas.1Contracting authorities that require the fats of palm origin used in animal feed to be covered by sustainability credits2 help to ensure an increased proportion of sustainable palm oil production. Criterion text Food products of animal origin must be derived from production where products or by-products from the oil palm , if it is used in animal feed, is 100% certified as sustainable or is 100% compensated by sustainability credits. | ||||
In Sweden, 1.61 kg of lamb and mutton was consumed per person in 2019. Approximately 30 percent of this amount was produced in Sweden in 2019, which can be compared with about 60 percent in 1995. Imports come mainly from Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. During 2018 and 2019, a reduction in imports was noted along with an increase in the Swedish share of consumption.
According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, one reason for the high proportion of imports could be that a seasonally-high demand in Sweden – such as during Easter – is not matched by Swedish production, where lambs are mostly slaughtered in the autumn. According to the Svenskt Kött ['Swedish Meat'] organisation, Swedish production of lamb covers approximately 35 percent of domestic consumption. The organic proportion was 21.3 percent of sheep slaughtered in Sweden in 2018, which, according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, is the highest organic proportion of any type of animal included in the official statistics.
The environmental impact of the production of lamb and mutton varies, depending on the type of product as well as the methods and location of production. Contracting organisations that set sustainability requirements in their procurement of lamb or mutton can contribute to better environmental and climate sustainability and good animal welfare in production. The product segment includes criteria that, amongst other things, contribute to achieving the A Non-Toxic Environment, A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life, A Varied Agricultural Landscape and Reduced Climate Impact Swedish environmental objectives, as well as the Global Sustainable Development Goals in Agenda 2030, including Goal 2 (zero hunger), Goal 3 (good health and well-being), Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), Goal 13 (climate change action), and Goal 15 (life on land).
The climate impact from the production of food of animal origin is caused by the animals' digestive process (for ruminants like cattle, sheep and goats), the production of animal feed, manure and the conversion of natural land into farmland for grazing and feed production. Lambs and sheep are ruminants, and their digestive process generates the emission of methane gas, which has a high impact on the climate. The emissions of greenhouse gases from lamb production amount to an average of about 21 kg carbon dioxide equivalents per kg of boneless meat, but varies according to production methods and origin, etc.
The different lamb production systems are characterised according to the time of year when lambs are slaughtered. The most common system in Sweden is autumn lamb production, which means that ewes have lambs in the spring, and the lambs are slaughtered in the autumn after the end of the grazing season, but lambs can be born and slaughtered at all times of the year.
Graninge ruminants keep thelandscape open and contribute to several ecosystem services. Properly adapted grazing is important for conserving and managing biodiversity. Grasses used in crop rotation on arable land are an important source of fodder for ruminants and contribute positively towards the cultivation system by, for example, reducing the need for pesticides and improving soil fertility. Sheep are well suited for grazing on sensitive land because they do not trample the grass cover and can therefore keep the landscape open,both in the countryside and on peri-urban land.Concentrated feeds are also used in the production of lamb and mutton, and the way that these concentrates are produced is an important sustainability aspect. When soya and by-products from oil palm are used for feed, these raw materials can be produced in a more sustainable manner, such as by avoiding production in areas of high conservation value.
Animals kept on semi-natural pastures graze on ground that is never ploughed or harvested. A semi- natural pasture is land that has been continuously used for grazing for a long time and is part of the biological cultural heritage. Grazing on semi-natural pastures is particularly important for preserving and managing biodiversity in species and at the landscape level.12 Animals kept on semi-natural pastures are needed to manage the land so as to achieve the environmental quality objectives for biodiversity and a rich agricultural landscape.13 There are currently only a few farms in Sweden that produce certified lamb meat from semi-natural pastures.14
The widespread use of antibiotics around the world for both humans and animals has led to a rise in antibiotics-resistant bacteria in our surroundings.15 Together with Norway and Iceland, Sweden has the lowest use of antibiotics for farm animals in Europe.16 Having consideration for the animals as sentient beings involves minimising their pain, for example by using effective anaesthesia in stressing and painful situations, including during surgical procedures and before slaughter. Time spent in the open air also gives the animals greater opportunity to express behaviour that is important for their well-being.
Fresh and frozen lamb and mutton, including processed meat and composite products with a lamb or mutton content of at least 10 percent. Examples of products that may be included in the criteria:
- Cuts of meat such as steak, saddle, chop, leg, tenderloin, shank etc. of lamb or mutton.
- • Stew meat from lamb or mutton
- • Minced lamb or mutton
- • Meatballs and sausages made from lamb or mutton
- • Processed lamb or mutton meat
- • Kebab slices from lamb or mutton
Use the criterion or criteria which best suits your organization’s needs, goals and capacity to monitor compliance. Indicate in the document specifically which products are to fulfil the requirement and be sure to inform yourself of market access. It is also important to state how the tenderer should respond to the criteria and what verification (means of evidence) is to be provided.