Coles is a bad egg, says Humane Society

The Humane Society International (HSI) has branded Coles’ changed free-range standard an attempt to “dupe” consumers and “hijack the business of genuine free-range egg producers”.

The Coles own brand free-range standard will permit up to 10,000 hens per hectare; the Model Code recommends only 1500 hens per hectare. “With these high stocking densities and single sheds housing over 30,000 hens, many birds rarely access the outdoors,” a HSI media release said.

In 2012, the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (AECL) proposed an increase in outdoor stocking rates from 1500 to 20,000 hens per hectare for layer hens, but this proposal has been withdrawn. HSI said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) assessment showed that it failed to meet consumer expectations for free-range production.

HSI has welcomed the ACCC’s announcement that free-range eggs will be one of its 2013 priorities. “Consumers would be shocked if they saw the systems supermarkets are utilising to produce their ‘free-range’ eggs and HSI does not condone such misrepresentation,” said Verna Simpson, HSI Director.

“Eggs produced in these intensive aviary systems need to be labelled accordingly, and we suggest ‘barn yard’ as a more appropriate term. This new descriptor would help restore consumer faith in egg labels, and we believe consumers have the right to know exactly what they are paying for.

“It’s high time that the government stepped in to legislate a national standard for free-range to protect the consumer and genuine free-range farmers. To date, HSI has collected over 30,000 signed postcards asking for 1500 hens per hectare to be used in the free-range definition and we will continue campaigning until the prime minister takes note and resolves this ridiculous debate.

“In the meantime, ACCC is investigating our complaint against Coles so we feel confident that such misleading claims will soon be stopped.”