The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted legal proceedings for misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to the promotion and supply of a line of duck-meat products. The company is alleged to have claimed that its ducks were ‘open range’ and ‘grown in nature’s way’. Pictorial representations of ducks in natural surroundings are also depicted on their packaging, website and advertising material.  The company against whom the ACCC is taking action is Pepe’s... ...Read more »

A new scheme will provide greater transparency for New South Wales consumers about farm production systems. Terms such as “free-range”, “barn” and “cage” are now more clearly defined on the NSW Food Authority website. Information on the various egg production schemes operating in NSW is now available online to enable consumers to make informed food choices. “The NSW Food Authority has responded to calls for more transparent information on egg labelling and consumers who want to... ...Read more »

Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke has said that a long-term rise in commodity prices would be “no bad thing” and suggested it would drive investment into the agriculture sector. Bulcke told an analyst event in London last week that beneath the recent volatility in commodity costs was an “underlying trend” of rising raw-material prices due, in part, to the growing world’s population. Food manufacturers have faced a growing raw materials bill in recent months and have looked to... ...Read more »

UK food manufacturers have been warned that new EU legislation changes could have a major impact on egg availability in 2012.  The EU Welfare of Laying Hens Directive takes effect on 1 January next year and will require egg producers using caged hens to use larger cages, rather than traditional battery farm conditions. British Lion Egg Processors (BLEP) on Friday (14 January) outlined concerns that many EU countries, including Greece, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Spain, will not be compliant by... ...Read more »

Nominations are now open for the RSPCA Australia Good Egg Awards, a national program that recognises major companies that make the switch to non-cage eggs.The Good Egg Award began in the UK, with international award winners including McDonalds UK, Subway, Microsoft, Google and Sainsburys supermarkets. “We’re looking for big egg users that have made the switch or are intending to make the switch to using non-cage eggs and in doing so are showing great leadership in their industry and in... ...Read more »