[Greens-Media] Media release: ACCC slams Egg Corp's sham free-range standard

[John Kaye]

ACCC slams Egg Corp's sham free-range standard 
 
Media release: 2 November 2012 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have released a
damning assessment of the Egg Corporation's proposed free-range
standard, highlighting the urgent need for legislation to protect
consumers from exploitation, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: “The ACCC has slammed the Egg Corporation's application
for a new logo to market their sham free-range standard as highly
misleading and a threat to fair trading. 
 
"The Egg Corporation application proposed that 20,000 hens be crammed
into a single hectare and given a "free-range" trademark logo.
 
"The ACCC has confirmed what consumers and free-range farmers already
knew * the big cage egg producers are using the Egg Corporation to ram
through new standards which would enable them to cash in on the
"free-range" label without adhering to decent animal welfare standards.

 
"The O'Farrell government has stated that they will not be supporting
the Greens' Truth in Labelling for Free-range Eggs legislation when it
is debated in the Lower House. I would now urge Fair Trading Minister
Anthony Roberts and all Coalition MPs to look at the ACCC findings and
rethink their position.
 
"Consumers have used this opportunity to voice their anger and
frustration over the exploitation of the free-range label. All but 7 out
of the 1,700 submissions to the ACCC were opposed to the Egg
Corporation's new sham free-range standards. 
 
"This is a huge blow to the Egg Corp and their relentless campaign of
misinformation to sell their intensive free-range standards to the
public and policy makers. 
 
"The campaign to stop the exploitation of the free-range label is not
over. 
 
"Despite failing to pass the initial assessment for a trademark, under
current laws the Egg Corporation will still be able to sell eggs with
the label "free-range" from systems with as many as 20,000 birds per
hectare. 
 
"The finding by the ACCC should be a massive wake up call for the
O'Farrell government. The Egg Corporation has been playing them for
fools * the  only way to protect consumers from exploitation is to
enshrine free-range standards in legislation, "Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455