NEWS RELASE                                                                                                       30 July 2001

WOOLWORTHS SLAMS INHUMANE TREATMENT OF FARM ANIMALS

Woolworths has condemned in the strongest terms the inhumane treatment of farm animals, and has stated categorically that it will not buy from any farm or abattoir where animals are abused before slaughter.

In a hard-hitting statement, Dr Johan Ferreira, Head of Food Technology at Woolworths, said Woolworths has always had an animal welfare policy and a strict code of practice for the slaughter of animals and poultry that meet the highest international standards.

He said Woolworths suppliers were audited by expert food technologists who checked that humane treatment was given to farm animals and poultry.

Dr Ferreira was responding to a shocking video shown in Cape Town by the international farm animal welfare organisation “Compassion in World Farming” . The video showed that farm animals in South Africa are subjected to cruelty and abuse before being slaughtered at some abattoirs.

“We are appalled at the cruelty shown on the video and distance ourselves totally from inhumane treatment for animals. Furthermore, we call on the authorities to take urgent steps to stop this practice,” he said.

The Woolworths animal welfare policy states that Woolworths “supports and demands that animals destined for human consumption are always treated with care and in the most humane way throughout the whole production process. To ensure this, Woolworths technologists in the appropriate departments inspect the different production and processing units on a regular basis. Detailed animal husbandry codes of practice are used as a reference in this regard.”

Strict regulations are laid down to minimise stress to animals and ensure humane conditions during transport, including adequate space for regular stops for feeding and watering.

Dr Ferreira said the primary aim of the policy was to ensure that all Woolworths producers adhered at all stages to the basic elements of its animal care.

The basic elements of the Woolworths animal welfare policy are
· comfort and shelter
· readily accessible fresh water and a diet to maintain animals in full health and vigour
· allowing animals to keep company with other animals, particularly of the same kind
· the opportunity to express most normal patterns of behaviour
· prevention, or rapid diagnoses and treatment of abnormal behaviour, injury and disease
· appropriate handling at all times

“We support Compassion in World Farming in its quest to improve conditions for farm animals and poultry,” said Dr Ferreira.

In addition, Woolworths is committed to implementing more natural production systems. These include the elimination of animal by-products from feed; no hormones or antibiotics except for treatment; free range poultry; no irradiation of fresh produce; and the production of organic foods certified according to international standards.

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