Industry Feathers its Own Nest with Misleading
Free Range Logo

MEDIA RELEASE         22^nd September 2011

Until now it has been pretty much a free for all when it came to labelling free range eggs.

The burgeoning demand has led to some producers simply re-inventing themselves with clever marketing and incorporating the words free or free range into their brand to capture a share of this market.  Consumer needs and wants have been ignored or just exploited by those that have chosen to misrepresent their product.

Consumers have an expectation when they purchase free range eggs.  At the very least there should be some guarantee that these birds are actually free to range.  Allowing massive increases in stocking densities for outdoor birds will only line the pockets of intensive producers and will be detrimental to consumer perceptions of the free range industry, the health and welfare of the birds and damaging to the environment.

Industry is almost frantic to take control of the term free range and has attempted to implement these changes quietly without full producer consultation or, more importantly, without consideration for just what the consumer perceives free range to be.

“Feeding a growing population is no justification for high jacking the term free range”, says Lee McCosker from Humane Choice.  “What Australian Egg Corporation are proposing would be the equivalent of hen feed lots and socially and environmentally irresponsible..  The term free range belongs to those producers that are truly committed to giving the consumer the ethical product that they seek.  The choice is the consumer’s to make and must not be taken from them with deceptive labelling.  If it’s not free to range, simply call it something else.”

Humane Choice will be attending the launch of the Green’s Truth in Labelling Bill (for free range eggs) to show our support for this much needed initiative. We need legislation now that will define free range and protect not only the consumer, but the welfare of layer hens and the environment.

Free to call their product whatever they like.   That’s what some chicken producers thought until the ACCC stepped in this week and announced that the term ‘free to roam’ was misleading consumers.

The burgeoning demand for free range product has seen many producers attempt to side step changes to their actual production systems and instead simply reinvent their image with addition of the word FREE in their marketing.  Free to roam, free to fly and room to roam and play are all sweeteners for production systems that are nothing more than birds and animals kept at very high stocking densities in sheds.

The ACCC announcement coincides with the release of the Australian Egg Corporation’s (AECL) proposed free range standard that will allow stocking rates for free range birds to increase from 1,500 to 20,000 birds per hectare.  AECL, a producer owned industry peak body that is also funded by the government, is proposing that producers act outside the Code of Practice, and in Queensland, outside the law.

Humane Choice represents true free range producers and over 100,000 layer hens.  Humane Choice had written to the ACCC asking that they step in and prevent the AECL from rushing these standards through without full industry consultation.  The ACCC has now put on hold any decision regarding the AECL certification trademark application before them (that would allow the standards to be immediately implemented) pending the outcome of further consultation with all producers.

“The big end of industry is intent on using the term ‘free’ in their marketing to take advantage of this growing market and to boost sales.  We don’t see the needs of the consumer being addressed at all.  It’s a mine field of false or confusing claims for them with no way of telling if what is written on the label means eggs are actually free to range.” Says Lee McCosker, Compliance Manager for Humane Choice.

McCosker suggests that consumers check out the different brands and label claims first at www.animalwelfarelabels.org.au

No growth promoters in Coles Pork - PAYLEAN just doesn’t pay

The UK has set a new precedent for labelling standards on free range pork products. Supermarket giant, Waitrose, has had their campaign for Waitrose pork banned for misleading consumers about the pigs' living conditions.

The ads, featuring chefs Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith, said pork sold under the retailer's Essential Waitrose label was deemed to misleadingly suggest Waitrose pork came from pigs that spent the duration of their lives outdoors, when in fact the pigs live in sheds after weaning.  This system of farming is known as outdoor bred (bred free range) and as such the pigs grown for pork are raised indoors.

"This decision should sound warning bells for all pork producers that choose to misrepresent their product in an attempt to take advantage of the growing free range market" said Humane Choice Compliance Manager, Lee McCosker.

Consumer perceptions of free range pork are that the pigs are free to graze in open pastures.  Packaging and labelling that allude to these conditions but cannot deliver a genuine free range product are deceitful and a blatant effort to mislead the public.

Vigilance will help to expose such fraudulent claims in Australia and reporting your concerns to us or directly to the ACCC will help stamp out free range fraud.  A matter concerning substitution in Western Australia of cage eggs for free range is currently before the ACCC.

If you are seeking a guarantee that the free range product is genuine, request that your retailer stock Humane Choice products.  Humane Choice accredits true free range farms that allow their animals to graze on pasture and adhere to animal welfare and environmental standards.

Thursday, April 30, 2009