Big Business Lies Again

[EigerSA]

I got sent an email which has just sent my blood boiling. Seems that Woolworths who market themselves as the only retailer to be using free-range eggs solely, has been lying. Turns out that the only eggs that are free-range are the ones in pullets... not the eggs found in ingredients.

 

Go check this out, it explains it far better than I could:

 

http://www.urbansprout.co.za/is_woolworths_just_another_bad_egg

 

What really annoys me, is not so much the free-range versus battery... but that they are lying to us. On top of that, their response is a case of "oh well... when people bitch then we'll change", that's crap!

 

So until Woolworths learn that telling lies is bad and publicly apologize, I will buy elsewhere, hope you guys will too.

 

[Sean Badenhorst]

I think organic food is mostly marketing hype. I respect that there are people that prefer to eat organic and that there are companies that do genuinely sell organic stuff. I just buy what looks good/fresh/filling!

 

EigerSa, I'm curious as to how you know if the eggs used to make food at restaurants are free-range or not? Or do you just skip anything made with egg to be safe?

 

 

 

[leet22]

Hmm'

Its a egg, I go through about 1800 eggs every 3 days at work on average . No ways will we ever get that many free range eggs.

 

[Slowbee]

SeanBadenhorst you naughty journo you .....

[EigerSA]

I'm not really suggesting that the eggs supplied should be free-range or not, would be nice if they were, but the reality I know is entirely different. What's pissing me off is that I bought Woolworths eggs because of the whole 'free-range' issue.. I may not be the best "greeny" in the world but at least I try. Woolworths are quite simply lying, they've jumped on the green band-wagon and are profiting from it... all the while being 100% aware that they are not telling us the truth! They are lying! If a retailer doesn't want to go green, that's cool with me, it's their choice as it is mine to shop there... but don't lie about it is all I'm saying!

 

So in essence, I'm complaining about being lied to, it's just not cricket!!!

 

 

 

 

[leet22]

If i read the article well the eggs they sell are free range just the eggs they use in the pre made food like mousse etc thats not free range eggs.

[Dirtbreath]

Would love to but can't live without Woolies. Anyway, I have got over being lied to since I learnt the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

[EigerSA]

Ok, maybe I'm taking this too personally, I'm just tired of business just doing whatever they please, and only after being caught out do they do something about it... oh no wait... only after being caught and also being bitched at, do they change their tune.

 

Rave over... life carries on

 

 

[porky]

I think organic food is mostly marketing hype. I respect that there are people that prefer to eat organic and that there are companies that do genuinely sell organic stuff. I just buy what looks good/fresh/filling!

 

That unfortunately is the problem with Saffas - we dont care.!

 

...........and that is in itself sad.

 

I think in general there is a differance between Organic and Free Range, the former generally referring to vegetables, fruits, eggs etc, the latter referring to living creatures like pigs, cattle, fowls and sheep.

 

The green, organic, free range movement has caught on big all over the world, except here, why, - we simply dont care.!

 

I will give you one example. Tesco, a very big European food chain tried selling free range pork in their stores, it didnt do too well as customers just looked at the price (higher) and bought the regular battery raised pork.

 

So they tried something differant and started educating the consumer, they showed pictures of pigs in abysmal conditions in pigeries, they showed how battery pigs had deformed feet due to walking their entire lives on unnatural floors, usually wood and mesh, never even feeling mud or ground, they showed how pigs living in cramped unnatural confined conditions literally went crazy, chewing wood, and occassionally becoming canabalistic, eating injured or dead pigs.

 

The public went balistic, battery raised pork sales in  Tesco plummetted, battery pig farmers were forced by simple economics (Tesco stopped buying their product) to become more pig friendly and convert their pigeries to free range or loose these customers, today 70% of their pork sales is free range, and undoutably we have a much happier pig population.

 

Thats the power of a consumer who cares. Think we will ever reach that stage?, I doubt it, but I live in hope.

 

I am not saying everyone must buy organic or free range, its a personal and sometimes an economic choice, but I personally would like to think that these animals at least lived their short lives in reasonable, natural conditions - hense where possible, I too buy free range products - its not a greenie thing,.............. just an animal thing.!

  

porky2009-05-20 13:21:30

[EigerSA]

Well said Porky... I totally agree with you! At the end of the day each and every one of us has the freedom to make a choice... whether it be to buy organic/free-range products or not. I think that in this case Woolworth's dishonesty here took my choice away and that sucks.

 

Think I'll send Tesco an email and see if they want to come out to good old S.A. and give stores here a run for their money

 

 

[flex]

Hmm'

Its a egg' date=' I go through about 1800 eggs every 3 days at work on average . No ways will we ever get that many free range eggs.

 

[/quote']

Boet, what on earth do you do for a living?!?

[pastapouch]

if I only had the money to buy salads from Woolies. They didn't lie, they just didn't mention it... is there a difference. Make up a story and ask your wifes if there is.

[intern]

I thought this was going to be a thread on Sasol and its price fixing shenanigans. Love it when YCL and other stupid idiots insist it should have got a bigger fine....which it will pass on to consumers anyway....

[DaLoCo]

I think organic food is mostly marketing hype. I respect that there are people that prefer to eat organic and that there are companies that do genuinely sell organic stuff. I just buy what looks good/fresh/filling!

 

That unfortunately is the problem with Saffas - we dont care.!

 

...........and that is in itself sad.

 

I think in general there is a differance between Organic and Free Range' date=' the former generally referring to vegetables, fruits, eggs etc, the latter referring to living creatures like pigs, cattle, fowls and sheep.

 

The green, organic, free range movement has caught on big all over the world, except here, why, - we simply dont care.!

 

I will give you one example. Tesco, a very big European food chain tried selling free range pork in their stores, it didnt do too well as customers just looked at the price (higher) and bought the regular battery raised pork.

 

So they tried something differant and started educating the consumer, they showed pictures of pigs in abysmal conditions in pigeries, they showed how battery pigs had deformed feet due to walking their entire lives on unnatural floors, usually wood and mesh, never even feeling mud or ground, they showed how pigs living in cramped unnatural confined conditions literally went crazy, chewing wood, and occassionally becoming canabalistic, eating injured or dead pigs.

 

The public went balistic, battery raised pork sales in  Tesco plummetted, battery pig farmers were forced by simple economics (Tesco stopped buying their product) to become more pig friendly and convert their pigeries to free range or loose these customers, today 70% of their pork sales is free range, and undoutably we have a much happier pig population.

 

Thats the power of a consumer who cares. Think we will ever reach that stage?, I doubt it, but I live in hope.

 

I am not saying everyone must buy organic or free range, its a personal and sometimes an economic choice, but I personally would like to think that these animals at least lived their short lives in reasonable, natural conditions - hense where possible, I too buy free range products - its not a greenie thing,.............. just an animal thing.!

  

[/quote']

 

Saffas is a derogotary term used by the English to depict South Africans.....

 

The type of battery farming seen in Europe is not the norm here...mostly because there it is matter of not having enough land to farm on the bigger scale. With the farming methods changing in Europe, the price of all meat has shot through the roof.

 

I have personally constructed building sets for intensive pig and cattle farming on the highveld (Kanhym near Middelburg) and here in KZN, and the conditions you describe for Europe has not been the case here. My cousin is actually a section manager for Kanhym.  Chicken farming here on the other hand has advanced to European levels

 

I fully agree with you though, if we start seeing those conditions in intensive animal farming here something should be done. In general I do not disagree with you porky, but we are not at that level of animal abuse in intensive farming yet, and probably never will get there due to the abundance of farm space. Free range is still basically the norm here in South Africa.

 

Woolworths and others are preying on our natural instinct to care!!

[porky]

 

  

 

Saffas is a derogotary term used by the English to depict South Africans.....

 

The type of battery farming seen in Europe is not the norm here...mostly because there it is matter of not having enough land to farm on the bigger scale. With the farming methods changing in Europe' date=' the price of all meat has shot through the roof.

 

I have personally constructed building sets for intensive pig and cattle farming on the highveld (Kanhym near Middelburg) and here in KZN, and the conditions you describe for Europe has not been the case here. My cousin is actually a section manager for Kanhym.  Chicken farming here on the other hand has advanced to European levels

 

I fully agree with you though, if we start seeing those conditions in intensive animal farming here something should be done. In general I do not disagree with you porky, but we are not at that level of animal abuse in intensive farming yet, and probably never will get there due to the abundance of farm space. Free range is still basically the norm here in South Africa.

 

Woolworths and others are preying on our natural instinct to care!!

[/quote']

 

In part I agree with you, chicken farming is at highly intensive levels here already, and pig farming is gaining ground quickly, read the magazine SA PIG FARMER (a pig farming trade magazine) if you want to know the levels it has increased to in certain enviroments.

 

However, my point was to illustrate a level of abuse of animals, which I feel strongly about, not to get involved in an argument on demographics, which are largely irrelevant, abuse is abuse, be it here, Europe or Scandanavia - at no point in my statement did I mention pig demographics - you just read that in.!

 

Anway, why, I ask, should something only be done when we see these levels of farming here??, -  should something not have been done about the plight of chickens 20 years ago?, its too late now, again, in general, we dont care, waiting for pigs to start growing two heads in a highly controlled, light secured, wooden boxed human enviroment is a bit like "closing the door after the horse has bolted".

 

I am all for retailers keeping the pressure on farmers to treat animals in a humane and natural way, they need to live in natural enviroments, roll in the mud, scratch for worms, sleep in the grass and bake in the sun, and if my only buying free range keeps that pressure up - so be it! - which was the crux of my point anyway.!!

 

Saffas is just a term, stop been so touchy.

 

[AndreZA]

I don't like Woollies' free range eggs. There is too much crap you have to dig out once cracked. Alot less hassles with Spar brand and it's cheaper.