The RSPCA's farm animal welfare assurance and labelling scheme, is to be rebranded as 'RSPCA Assured' for 2015.

The move follows market research and will be timed to celebrate the assurance scheme's 20th anniversary.

The rebrand will be launched with a new marketing campaign, including TV advertising, and a new brand logo. The charity said on Thursday that its rebrand "aims to clearly position the label as identifying products that have come from farm animals inspected to RSPCA welfare standards – whether indoors, outdoors, free range or organic." 

Freedom Food's CEO Jeremy Cooper commented, "This is a natural next step for the scheme. We know from our research that by using a brand so closely aligned to the RSPCA, consumers will immediately recognise it as an animal welfare mark.

"We believe it will bring significant benefits to our members, retailers and to the food service industry - and help bring RSPCA welfare standards to millions more farm animals."

Though the new RSPCA Assured mark will take the place of Freedom Foods in shops, only the 'consumer facing' branding will change.  Freedom Food will remain the name of the trading company, and the brand will remain unchanged for business to business activity.