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ACCC sees “no need” for free range standard

Addressing the Australian Farm Institute Conference in Melbourne, ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the commission will be writing to egg suppliers this week.

Sims said the ACCC sees no need for a free range standard, arguing it’s the producer’s responsibility to ensure they’re not misleading consumers.

“We are encouraging them to consider whether they should review the words and images used on their free range egg cartons and any advertising claims about their free range eggs.

“Some have expressed concern that there is no government standard that producers need to meet to be a free range producer. We see no need for any standard,” he said.

“In the Pirovic case the court ruled that free range means the birds can and do go outside on most days. It is up to producers to determine how to meet this common sense definition.”

In September, egg producer Pirovic Enterprises was found to have engaged in misleading conduct and made misleading representations in its labelling of eggs as free range. The Court ordered the brand to pay a pecuniary penalty of $300,000.

Pirovic’s claims and labelling suggested that eggs were produced by hens which were able to move about freely on an open range each day, but Pirovic admitted most of its hens did not move about freely on an open range on most days.
 

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