ACT Consumer Affairs Minister Shane Rattenbury has called for a rethink of long-awaited changes to egg labelling standards, and said only eggs from farms with 1500 or fewer birds per hectare should be marked "free range".
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Mr Rattenbury will be among state and federal ministers to sign-off on one of four legal definitions of "free range" at the Federal Consumer Affairs Forum to decide on a nationally mandated standard on Thursday.
But he said while the ACT government strongly supported the move, none of the four options on the table was ideal or in line with consumer expectations, and described the definitions as a "watering down" of the animal welfare model code of practice.
The four proposed definitions hinge on hens having "meaningful access" to the outdoor range, with a maximum stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare. One option is the status quo, meaning nothing would change.
NSW Minister for Better Regulation Victor Dominello, who is leading the charge on developing a mandatory information standard, said he wants "the prominent disclosure of outdoor stocking density" on labelling, whether 1500, 5000 or 10,000 birds per hectare.
But Mr Rattenbury has urged consumer affairs ministers to instead back a fifth option.
In a letter to ministers and federal Small Business Minister Kelly O'Dwyer, he said "free range" should only apply to farms that used an outdoor stocking density of 1500 birds per hectare or less, and take in minimum animal welfare practices.
"My view is that these are the standards consumers expect of egg products labelled 'free range'," he said.
"They are necessary to ensure animals are treated appropriately and humanely."
If his suggested option was adopted, Mr Rattenbury said, producers who allowed birds outdoor access but did not meet the new definition of "free range" could use an alternative label such as "access to range".
He said the standard was in line with a model code, developed by the CSIRO, which was supported by animal rights groups such as the RSPCA and Humane Society as well as consumer group Choice.
"It refers to a stocking density of 1500 birds per hectare and outlines a range of minimum animal welfare standards, but is only compulsory within the ACT.
"We should be taking steps to make this model code of practice compulsory nationwide, and it simply does not make any sense to support changes that will in fact reduce animal welfare outcomes.
"While there are many reputable producers who have worked hard to meet the 1500 stocking density, there are still a number of producers who display the free range label but have a stocking density of up to 10,000 hens per hectare."
Choice has rubbished the "meaningful access" aspect of the proposed definitions, saying it essentially meant hens didn't have to go outside.
Neither the status quo option nor the 1500 hens per hectare definition have been backed by the industry.
