voiceless: the animal protection institute - Woolworths egged on by consumer concerns about battery hen suffering

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Brian Sherman AM, Voiceless co-founder and Director

"Wherever the destination, live exports are intrinsically inhumane...They deserve better, and we can do better. The trade must end.” Brian Sherman AM, 11 August 2011, read more

"If the poultry industry truly cares about the public's right to know how chickens are treated from factory to plate, then consumers deserve nothing less than the honest truth." Brian Sherman AM, 28 July 2011, read more

"A staggering number of sentient beings are churned down the assembly lines of factory farms in Australia each year, as if they were widgets, with no regard for their suffering. We live in a country where animal cruelty is condoned on a daily basis, and allowed under the law." Brian Sherman AM, 21 May 2011, read more

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Woolworths egged on by consumer concerns about battery hen suffering

14 August 2009

Voiceless, the animal protection think tank, applauds reported moves by supermarket chain Woolworths to reduce the number of caged egg brands, including its ‘Woolworths Select’ brand, and to separate its eggs more clearly.

Brian Sherman AM, Voiceless director, today said: “Battery hens are allowed to be kept in the most inhumane conditions, confined to cages for the short terms of their productive lives in a space no larger than an A4 sheet of paper per bird. They can barely move and have little space to stretch their wings. More Australians are becoming aware of the suffering associated with these production systems yet battery cages remain legal. Corporates such as Woolworths are now taking a leadership position in recognition of shifting demand.”

However, whilst recent moves by Woolworths are to be welcomed, they do not go far enough. In the United Kingdom a number of leading food retailers including Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and the Co-op have already banned or commenced a phase out of caged eggs from their supermarket shelves. Some have also gone so far as to phase out the use of caged eggs in their products.

According to Ondine Sherman, Voiceless director: “This is a great first step, but if Australian supermarkets are truly committed to addressing consumer concerns about animal suffering, they should follow international leads and fall into line on animal protection issues by adopting similar phase-outs.”

The question of accurate labelling of eggs also needs to be addressed. As highlighted in ‘From Label to Liable’, a report previously produced by Voiceless, in jurisdictions other than the ACT and Tasmania, confusion surrounds the plethora of egg products currently allowed on supermarket shelves.

In the European Union the phasing out of conventional battery cages has already begun and will be complete in all member countries by January 2012. Labelling of eggs by production system has also been in place in Europe since January 2004.

“Australia needs to step into line with these international developments if it is to be considered an animal welfare leader,” said Ondine Sherman.

To find out more about the issue of labelling, visit the resources section of the Voiceless website and download ‘From Label to Liable’.

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