for Mandylew re co op

[strawberry tart]

hi Mandylew, well the man from the co op replied. Heres his e-mail.

Thank you for your e mail regarding battery eggs.

As you may be aware, the Co-op only sells Co-op brand eggs that are free range or organic. However, the Co-op is a consumer owned business, and is expected to be responsive to the needs of the communities we serve. Many of our customers, like yourself, are very concerned about animal welfare, and are willing to pay more for higher standards of welfare. Equally, many of our shops, around a third, are situated in areas where the majority of people are living on very low incomes. Price is, therefore, extremely important to them, often more important than many other factors.

We must ensure that everyone is catered for and we do therefore sell eggs from caged hens in our stores, but these are branded eggs, not Co-op brand.

Regarding products, I would like to confirm that it is our policy to use free range eggs in all our products as far as possible where the availability of free range eggs to our suppliers allows. On Co-op Brand products we will label the origin of the eggs within our ingredients list to enable customers to be certain of the sources of eggs that are used, and we are currently working towards using only free range eggs in all of our products.


I hope that this helps to clarify our approach in balancing the needs and expectations of all our customers.


Customer Relations

[peter]

I reckon you should edit the poor blokes contact details off thios website pronto.

[strawberry tart]

ok its done.

[mandylew]

thats the kind of response i've had before, but I have yet to find any of their own brand products labelled as 'fromfree range hens', although they do say 'from caged hens'in the list of ingredients. I think the comment about keeping costs down is rubbish.People who want cheap food will go to Aldi/netto or buy big supermarket budget range. I'm sure they could still get the cost below that of the branded products. I think I shall write and ask for a list of own label products containing free range eggs

Mandy

[strawberry tart]

I think if you have issues the only thing you can do is keep plugging away at them (and hope somebody is really listening!)
I just think in the general scale of things The co op was born out of geniune convictions and hopefully that ethos continues who knows?
at least we have a choice. Its that funny green colour that puts me of off Wallmart!..S.T.