TVNZ says Check your Eggs - Free Range vs Caged

Prompted by concerns around animal welfare in farming, the SPCA is asking consumers to purchase only eggs, pork, turkey and chicken accredited by the SPCA Blue Tick programme.

The SPCA says the Blue Tick is label people you can trust and guarantees that strict animal welfare standards have been applied to each step in the farming process, particularly in the layer and broiler chicken sectors.

SPCA Blue Tick has 118 members who are producers and distributors in the eggs, chicken, turkey and pork industries and certifies animal products "are farmed to our high welfare standards".

The term free range lacks a specific and precise meaning and the SPCA Blue Tick Programme claims it is the only truly independent and third party audited, accreditation scheme.

"Consumers can play a very significant role in addressing animal welfare and humane farming issues by searching out and insisting on the exclusive supply of SPCA Blue Tick accredited products," SPCA chief executive Ric Odom says.

"Now that the recent free range issue has come to the fore once again, we have a very real opportunity to partner with consumers to say enough is enough and, through their purchasing behaviours, to effectively ensure that only Blue Tick Accredited Products are stocked by retailers."

Check out the following link National News on TVNZ



For Further Information:

Janine Hampson Tindale
Acting Blue Tick Accreditation and Marketing Manager
spcabluetick@rnzspca.org.nz