For those partial to poultry, there is plenty to get eggs-cited about. Woolworths hatched another market first, as they became the first South African retailer to remove animal by-products from the diet of all its poultry.
Normal practice in South Africa is that most chickens are fed on a diet of meat and bone meal, feet, beaks, feathers and offal. Chickens don't naturally eat each other, but when fed on animal by-products, they have no choice.
"Although there is no negative health impact of eating animal-fed chickens, many people object from a compassion point of view," said Woolworths Protein Group Head Julian Novak. "We have responded to consumer pressure. If customers are concerned, whether it is a real or perceived threat, we would like to offer them a choice."
"Because of recent food health scares like mad cow disease, foot and mouth and genetically modified foods, consumers are becoming more suspicious of what they are eating," Marketing Executive for Woolworths Foods Richard Eskinazi said. "Even though there is no absolute scientific proof of these health risks, If consumers don't feel right about something, they deserve peace of mind."
The really good news for consumers is that there will be no price increase – for now. "Woolworths has decided to hold the price on chickens, and absorb all extra costs for the next four months while they check customer response," Eskinazi said.
To guarantee that no animal by-products are included in the chicken feed, random samples of the feed are tested by external laboratories and independent auditors audit both Woolworths and their suppliers. The chicken farms are visited regularly to ensure that they are complying with standards.
Woolworths Head of Food Technology Johan Ferreira said that their free-range poultry will also make a welcome return back to the shelves after they removed last year. "Our free-range chickens should be on the shelf by August," he said.
None of the chickens sold at Woolworths are battery chickens. They are either floor reared (in a barn where they are free to roam) or free-range (run outdoors during the day). – (Charmaine Horne, Health24)
For those partial to poultry, there is plenty to get eggs-cited about. Woolworths hatched another market first, as they became the first South African retailer to remove animal by-products from the diet of all its poultry.
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