Whether they provide ready-to-cook ingredients or ready-to-eat meals, food delivery companies simplify meal prep and cut down on supermarket runs—making them an attractive new option for many of us on the go. What sets this wave of food delivery companies above the microwave meals of the past is the promise of responsibly produced food that aligns with consumers’ values. The ASPCA has proudly worked with eight food delivery companies on new or improved animal welfare policies that include comprehensive standards and on-farm verification of animal treatment by independent auditors. This means better lives for countless animals and more convenient options for welfare-conscious consumers.

Ready-to-Eat Meals: Territory led the way as the first ready-to-eat meal company to commit to sourcing only welfare-certified beef and turkey for its meals. Fresh n’ Lean soon followed by becoming the first company to source all its eggs from cage-free Certified Humane farms. Model Meals recently committed to obtaining a welfare certification for all seven of its proteins—beef, lamb, pork, bison, chicken, turkey and eggs.

Meal Kits: PeachDish stepped up for broiler chickens with its policy to improve their lives by meeting or exceeding Global Animal Partnership standards and using third-party auditing.

Meat Delivery: ButcherBox, Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative, Porter Road and Walden Local Meat Co. have all vowed to earn animal welfare certification for various farm animal species. ButcherBox has committed to transition to 100% Global Animal Partnership chickens. Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative has committed to use pasture-based Animal Welfare Approved certification for its beef, pork and lamb; and Porter Road’s new policy is to source all beef, pork, and lamb from farms certified by an independent animal welfare program recognized by the ASPCA Shop With Your Heart program. Walden Local Meat Co. recently committed to obtaining a welfare certification for all four of its proteins—beef, pork, lamb, and chicken—as well as joining the movement to improve broiler chicken breeds, rearing and slaughter welfare standards.

Surveys continue to show [PDF] that over 75% of shoppers—across age, race, gender, education, income and political party—are concerned about how farm animals are treated. In response, there has been an unprecedented rise in plant-based proteins and heightened demand for higher welfare animal products. Food industry research company Mintel describes the untapped potential for companies using animal ingredients to incorporate improved animal welfare standards.

Food delivery boxes show promise for meeting consumers’ growing demand for more convenient, humane meals. The ASPCA will continue to urge food retailers of all kinds to commit to improved transparency and animal welfare standards, both to meet consumer expectations and to create a kinder food system for all. For more information on welfare-certified foods and more farm animal-related updates, sign up to Shop With Your Heart.