Coles broadens sow stall-free pork initiative

Coles has announced that it intends to broaden its sow stall-free fresh pork initiative to include all forms of the company's brand pork including processed ham and bacon products produced in both Australia and overseas from 2014.

To implement this extension, Coles has written to all of its processed pork suppliers seeking their support so that Australian consumers can have confidence that all Coles pork in our stores will be sow stall free.

Merchandise Director John Durkan said Coles was progressively extending its animal welfare program to all major product groups including pork, beef, chicken and fish.

“Coles is committed to ethical sourcing in our supply chain to meet increasing customer demand for best practice animal welfare standards,” Durkan said.

“The decision to extend our sow stall-free pork policy from fresh to processed pork is another step in that direction.

“Coles has been in discussions with our fresh and processed pork suppliers and is pleased that they have all agreed to voluntarily adopt these best practice standards without any price increase for Australian consumers.”

In the last few months, Coles has announced:

• Sow stall-free fresh pork by 2014
• Beef free of hormone growth promotants by January 2011
• RSPCA-approved Coles Finest Free Range Pork
• Sustainable palm oil sourcing and labelling by 2015

Further, the company has engaged the WWF to conduct scientific sustainability assessments for fresh fish which will help inform its sustainable seafood sourcing policy and add to Coles’ commitment to source skipjack tuna for the company's brand range of canned tuna in place of overfished yellow-fin tuna.

Coles is providing a wider range of organic, barn-raised and free-range products in its stores so that Australian consumers can choose naturally fresh produce of higher quality, better taste and improved tenderness.