Supermarket chains lied to their customers

Australians are familiar with the big supermarket chains being "economical with the truth" when it comes to the prices of their weekly specials.

It turn out that Coles and Woolworths are also happy to lie to their customers about their commitment to selling cage-free eggs.

Australia’s leading animal protection organisations this week united to urge Woolworths and Coles to honour long-standing commitments to go cage-free by the end of 2025.

An open letter has been sent to Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell and Coles CEO Leah Weckert ahead of the supermarkets’ upcoming Annual General Meetings on October 30 and November 11, respectively.

Approximately 5 million hens continue to be farmed in battery cages in Australia rather than free ranging (above).

The supermarket giants first committed in 2013 to phasing out cage eggs from their supply chains, pledging that by 2025 all shell eggs and egg ingredients in own-brand products would be cage-free.

Earlier this year, however, both companies walked back those commitments - with Coles delaying its target to 2030 and Woolworths leaving the timeframe open ended.

Australian Alliance for Animals Policy Director Dr Jed Goodfellow said the move undermines consumer trust and prolongs unnecessary animal suffering.

“Woolworths and Coles were rightly applauded when they made their cage-free commitments, and they’ve enjoyed years of positive publicity for the decision,” Dr Goodfellow said.

“To turnaround now, at the 11th hour, and say ‘sorry we can’t do it,’ is deeply disappointing - and it’s being met with growing frustration from consumers,

“Battery cages are cruel and outdated. They confine hens to a space smaller than an A4 sheet of paper and cause the highest rates of disuse osteoporosis, fatty live disease, and bone breakages of all egg farming systems,

“Modern cage-free systems, including fully indoor barn systems, can produce a reliable, affordable supply of eggs, without inflicting this level of suffering,

“Breaking these promises means millions more hens will continue to live in misery for longer,

“We urge customers and shareholders alike to raise their concerns with the supermarkets about this backward step – and we call on their leadership to uphold their promises to customers and Aussie hens."

A copy of the letter can be found here: http://allianceforanimals.org.au/ourwork/open-letter-to-coles-woolworths-cage-free-promise