CHOICE has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) decision to pursue two egg producers for misleading ‘free-range’ claims.
The ACCC is alleging that the two companies (Pirovic Enterprises in NSW and Snowdale Holdings in WA) misled consumers by suggesting the eggs were produced in free-range conditions when in fact the hens were not able to move around freely on outdoor ranges.
“The ACCC’s announcement confirms what CHOICE has long feared – that in the absence of an enforceable national standard, some free-range claims are not all they’re cracked up to be,” says CHOICE Campaigns Manager Angela Cartwright.
“Consumers are confronted with cartons awash with images of solitary chooks standing in sunlit pastures, but there’s no guarantee you’re getting what you pay for.”
“The ACCC’s crackdown on dodgy free-range claims shows exactly why consumers paying a premium for supposedly free-range eggs need a consistent and enforceable standard governing the use of free-range claims.”
The news follows NSW Fair Trading’s announcement on Saturday that it would push for a national and enforceable free-range egg standard to prevent consumers being misled by dodgy free-range claims.
The move came in response to CHOICE’s super complaint which provided evidence that dodgy free-range egg claims are leading to major rip-offs, with these products costing up to twice as much as cage eggs despite the wide variation in how they are produced.
For more information on CHOICE’s free-range campaign visit choice.com.au