Sainsbury’s has become the UK’s largest Freedom Food retailer in both range and volume sales of higher welfare products.

This year, total Freedom Food sales hit £143m according to Kantar Worldpanel, and 60% of Sainsbury’s customers have purchased at least one Freedom Food labelled item in the past year.

Sainsbury’s says it sells 62% of all Freedom Food endorsed in the UK, and sales have doubled in the past year.

Chef Jamie Oliver will appear in a Sainsbury’s advert on Wednesday May 26 promoting its range of Corn Fed Freedom Food chicken.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s brand, said: “Animal welfare continues to be one of our customers’ top concerns. We’ve acted faster than any other retailer to increase the range and availability of higher welfare products at an affordable price.”

Sainsbury’s sells 152 Freedom Food products across a range that consists of chicken, turkey, veal, duck, eggs, pork, sausages and salmon. In 2004 it was the first supermarket to introduce Freedom Food labelled chicken using a slower growing breed.