Coop Italia has announced that it will commence the sale of veal from cattle that have not been treated with antibiotics during the last four months of their lives. The initiative is set to be introduced by the end of October.
This is the latest step in the Italian cooperative’s 'Alleviamo la salute' campaign, which has already seen the introduction of chicken, eggs and pork that are free from antibiotics.
Coop is aiming for totally 'antibiotic-free' farms within a year, as part of its commitment to improving animal breeding conditions and animal welfare.
According to the retailer, 350 farms are involved in the first phase of the campaign, for an approximate total of 200,000 animals.
Expansion Plans
This summer, Coop introduced 35 antibiotic-free poultry products and eggs to the Origine private-label line, totalling almost 400,000 chickens per week.
Meanwhile, in August, the retailer launched a range of pork that had been bred without antibiotics. Altogether, the initiative will affect some 20 million animals annually and over 1,600 farms in Italy.
To enable consumers to see how farms work without using antibiotics, Coop Italia will open ten farms to the public this month. The event, called 'Allevamenti Aberti', will take place on 28 October and will include suppliers of the retail chain in Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia, Marche, Tuscany and Puglia.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
