Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water Bryan Green has urged supermarket chains to consider sourcing sow stall free meat for both fresh and processed pork.
Mr Green said Coles’ supermarkets were already moving to supply sow stall free pork but had not applied the same requirements on processed pork much of which is imported.
Mr Green said Coles was labelling their fresh pork as sow stall free and hoped other supermarket chains would follow suit.
“Consumer demand has already influenced Coles’ thinking on sourcing fresh pork which I hope will see other supermarket chains review their policies on produce and animal welfare,” Mr Green said.
Mr Green said the Tasmanian Government was leading the way in Australia by phasing out the use of sow stalls from 2014 and banning the routine use of them by 2017.
Coles plans to start supplying sow-stall free pork from next year.
Mr Green said he had written to Coles urging them to stock and label Tasmanian pork.