Supermarket praised for bold decision on popular breakfast item

Australian supermarket shelves are copping a major overhaul as retailers slowly phase out caged eggs, but some independent retailers have taken a tough stance and already banned them from shelves.

A notice was spotted at Paul’s Supa IGA in Ringwood East, in Melbourne’s east advising customers the store would no longer be stocking caged eggs from Thursday.

“As we continue to grow as a business, we have made the decision to support the welfare of animals and, in turn, support ethical farmers,” read the sign stuck to the fridge where the eggs are stocked.

Grocery store owners added that they hoped customers would “get on board” with the decision.

Shopper Fleur Smolenaers, who has laying hens at her property, applauded the supermarket’s decision.

“I don’t buy them since we have our own chooks, but I’m pleased to see they’re doing this,” she wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

“It may be a small thing, but it’s something. It’s the kind of thing any supermarket could do, but only an independent supermarket would do.”

IGA first supermarket to stock only free-range eggs

The Ringwood East store is not the first IGA to ban caged eggs. Back in 2014, Quinton’s IGA in Warrandyte, north-east of Melbourne, was the first known grocery store in Australia to ban caged or barn-laid eggs.

Owner Julie Quinton said she made the decision after being touched by images of mistreated battery hens and now only sells free-range eggs sourced from ethical Australian farms.

Since then, more than 45 IGAs across the country have announced they're ditching cage eggs— and the number is growing, according to Animals Australia.

Wholesaler Metcash, which supplies IGA stores nationwide, told Yahoo News Australia its retailers independently own and operated their stores, so decisions on stock rested solely with them.

“Many of our independent retailers source free range and cage free eggs directly from their local communities and have taken a strong responsible sourcing stance,” a Metcash spokesperson said.

“From a Metcash perspective, our Community Co brand has always had a firm commitment to only sourcing free range eggs.

“Across our other private label brands we are working in-line with industry expectations and timelines around sourcing free range eggs and this will be rolled out across all lines in the foreseeable future,” the spokesperson said.

Major retailers phase out caged eggs

Major retailers Coles and Woolworths have made a commitment to phase out caged eggs and both have already removed them from home brand cartons.

Last year, farmers who supply eggs to Woolies converted 160 cage-egg sheds to allow layer hens to roam free from close confinement, according to the Woolworths Sustainability Report 2018.

“We have also made a commitment to use only cage-free eggs as an ingredient in our own brand products by 2025,” the report stated.

“Animal welfare is an important part of doing the right thing and ensuring we can provide quality products to our customers. [In 2018] we have worked closely with our suppliers to improve the welfare of the animals under our care.”

Similarly, Coles is phasing out caged eggs in its supermarkets, with a commitment to have them gone from shelves by 2023.

Currently all Coles brand eggs are cage free, comprising of either barn-laid or free range. The supermarket said its barn-laid standard aligned with the RSPCA-approved Five Freedoms for the welfare of farm animals.

“Since we moved all our Coles own brand eggs to cage free in 2013, we have been working with our proprietary egg suppliers to increase production of cage free eggs,” reads a statement on the Coles website.

“We are now expanding this commitment to only sell cage free shell eggs in our supermarkets by 2023. This initiative will also include a commitment to only source cage free eggs as ingredients in our Coles own brand products.”

Aldi has also committed to a cage free future, pledging to phase out the sale of cage eggs by the end of 2025.

“We committed to a cage free future because we take animal welfare seriously,” read a statement on the IGA website.

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