More Sow Stall Free Pork to Hit the Shelves - Coles
Coles has annouced that it will extend its sow stall-free policy to its small goods as well as most imported pork products is not only a win for pig welfare but for consumer choice.
From 2014 all Coles branded pork including ham and bacon products, produced in Australia and overseas, will come from pigs not confined in sow stalls. This follows on from their earlier announcement that all fresh pork in Coles would be sow stall-free.
“Most Australians have said that they would prefer to buy higher welfare pork but humane alternatives aren’t always easy to find at the supermarket,” said RSPCA Humane Food Marketing Manager Hope Bertram.
The RSPCA has long said that to make a meaningful impact on pig welfare we need humane pork on every supermarket shelf in Australia and it’s great to see retailers responding so positively to this.
“Coles has today taken another step towards achieving that goal and in doing so has sent a very strong signal to industry that there is no place for sow stalls in the future of Australian pig production.”
“While often slowly, animal welfare is always moving forward, so the RSPCA is optimistic that we are inching closer to a sow stall-free pig industry. Coles has set a precedent for other big retailers and we’d love to see them all follow suit.”
The RSPCA believes caring about animals and eating animal products do not have to be mutually exclusive. Choosing the highest welfare option you can afford is a great way to help improve the lives of farm animals.
“RSPCA Approved products are a great choice because the RSPCA Paw of Approval on your pork and eggs (and soon chicken and turkey) is our guarantee that those products come from animals that were treated humanely.”
To find RSPCA Approved products near you visit www.rspca.org.au/shophumane
