Woolworths goes cage-free in Canberra
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has announced that as of this month, ACT stores will sell 100 per cent cage-free eggs as part of the the supermarket’s ongoing commitment to remove cage eggs from all outlets by December 2018.
The 19 ACT stores will instead now offer consumers a choice of three cage-free options: barn laid, free-range and organic free range.
Woolworths said this step had been made possible via a partnership with local supplier Parkwood Eggs. Parkwood have converted their Canberra farms to cage-free and will now supply some of the Woolworths private label products and a new local brand of Parkwood Eggs from their farm in MacGregor in north-west Canberra.
Woolworths said the shift to Parkwood supplied cage-free eggs also highlighted Woolworths’ “commitment to supporting local suppliers and providing local produce for local stores”.
“Canberra is the first area to deliver the Woolworths commitment of 100 per cent cage-free by 2018,” said Tony De Thomasis, Woolworths Head of Trade. “This is a landmark step in working towards cage-free eggs across all Woolies stores in the next four years and further highlights our ongoing mission to bring the freshest and best value produce to our customers,” he said.
Woolworths announced its 2018 commitment to phase out cage eggs in conjunction with its partnership with Jamie Oliver in 2013. The supermarket group was the first Australian retailer to introduce free-range eggs to its own brand. Woolworths has said it will also remove caged eggs as ingredients from all of its Homebrand products by the end of 2018.
Woolworths said all its free-range eggs across the Macro and Select brands meet the free range production requirements of the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Domestic Poultry for relevant production system (free range, barn laid and caged) and are labeled accordingly.
Woolworths has also launched Home Brand Barn Eggs, which will be selling at $3.49 for a dozen.
