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Coles today announced that it will meet its commitment to phase out sow stalls in all Coles Brand fresh pork, ham and bacon production a year earlier than planned and will stop selling Coles Brand caged eggs from the New Year.
These major animal welfare initiatives are a response to demand from customers for more responsibly sourced products and will see 34,000 mother pigs no longer kept in stalls for long periods of their lives and 350,000 hens freed from cages.
Both targets were announced in 2010 with a deadline of 2014 set for ending the use of sow stalls and 2013 for the move out of caged eggs. Now customers across Australia can enjoy welfare friendly pork and eggs at Coles from January 2013.
Since Coles announced the phasing out of Coles Brand caged eggs and cut the price of its free range eggs, sales have increased by more than 50 per cent. Coles now sells more free range eggs than caged eggs. Sales of Coles RSPCA approved poultry have also been strong.
Importantly, these initiatives have been implemented by Coles with no added cost to our customers and we have helped our farmers meet higher production costs. The small amount of imported Coles Brand pork products, mainly cured meats, will also be produced without the use of sow stalls so that Australian farmers are not unfairly disadvantaged.
Coles Merchandise Director, John Durkan, announced the news at the Coles sponsored National Farmers Federation annual congress in Canberra. Mr Durkan said: “Our customers told us that they want quality food which is responsibly sourced and great value. We have listened carefully to this message and worked tirelessly with our suppliers over the last two years to make the investments and changes required.
October 2012 - Coles/ Australia
