THERE'S no shortage of evidence suggesting that an increasing number of yuletide festive tables across Australia will carry red and white meat items bearing tags like 'free range', 'natural' and 'organic' on Saturday.
The move responds to growing consumer interest in food items carrying some form of ethical or environmental credential. Both Coles and Woolworths this year have stocked free-range labelled turkeys in time for Christmas ordering.
While some cynics might say that all commercial turkey farms are basically operated on free-range principles, it bears noting that the RSPCA's approved turkey-farming scheme (subscribed to by Coles' turkey supplier in the Hunter Valley) runs to 28 pages of protocol, covering a wide range of husbandry and management practices.
Woolworths has forecast a mammoth 500 percent increase in sales of its free-range birds this year, with one turkey in three sold for Christmas likely to be non-caged, and about one-in-10 sales to be organic. A spokeswoman said the company would be stocking 11,000 to 12,000 free-range turkeys and around 4000 organic birds this year.
RSPCA-approved turkeys will also be on the shelves at Coles nationally to meet customer demand and ethical concerns. After introducing the program last Christmas, Coles is forecasting bigger sales of free-range turkey in 2010, expecting a doubling of sales of Coles Finest Free-Range and organic birds.
That will represent more than 40pc of the company's total turkey turnover.
Free-range prices for both Coles and Woolworths at $9.90/kg are about a dollar higher than for conventional birds.
Coles is also offering hams under the unusual term 'outdoor-bred' for the first time this Christmas.
With no legal definition for free range applied in Australia, the RSPCA suggests consumers should buy from reputable suppliers.
Under CSIRO guidelines, a free-range bird should be housed in sheds and must have access to an outdoor range for a minimum of eight hours a day.
Certified organic turkeys are reared in the same uncaged conditions as free range, but must also eat a wholly organic diet.
Successful Brisbane independent butcher Michael Salm is another retailer who has noted the trend towards demand for meat protein carrying 'social responsibility' messages.
Mr Salm, who sits on the Australian Meat Industry Council's National Retail Council, operates Salm's Meats in Brisbane's inner-eastern suburb of Carindale.
He estimated up to 15pc of his shop's pre-Christmas turnover this year would carry a 'natural', 'free range' or 'organic' label.
That demand trend had been predominantly driven by customer demand, particularly among the younger end of the demographic.
The Salm's Meats free range pork and ham offering, which will carry a ret-ail premium of about $2/kg over conventionally produced ham, is sourced from Gooralie Free-Range Pork near Goondiindi.
There was nil difference in quality between the two products, Mr Salm said, and the opportunity to source from a single supplier also helped maintain quality and consistency standards.
Significantly, Mr Salm noted that in the case of his free-range pork and ham, a significant portion of the shop's turn-over was being generated out of people accessing the RSPCA website, and from there being referred to the Gooralie website, which lists retailers carrying its products.
Asked whether the move into the natural/free-range category was taking market share from the certified organic end of the trade, or from the 'conventional' end, he said it was probably both, but "organic supporters are still largely looking for organic".
"Free range represents a new lot of consumers looking for something different, in terms of a social conscience aspect," he said.
"More young people are prepared to eat pork and chicken, provided it carries a message like this. It's a growing market."
Mr Salm said supply was adequate to meet current demand for free-range pork, but would expand further next year when large processor/wholesaler Murray Valley Meats came online with its own free-range offer.
Meanwhile, in Europe, several animal and environmental welfare organisations have joined forces to release a simple guide to help consumers 'shop ethically' for turkey and salmon this Christmas.
The guide, both in printed and online form, was made available to shoppers to help them "navigate the often confusing number of farm-assurance schemes relating to turkey, farmed salmon and related products".
Sales of these products peak at this time of year, when they feature in many traditional Christmas dinners, the site said. The guide describes itself as a "simple way for consumers to see which labels set the highest welfare standards in regards to the treatment of animals and the environment, covering standards of farm-assured products across a wide range of meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products".
The guide ranks the various food assurance schemes from bronze (acceptable) to gold (highest standard) based on a number of animal welfare and environmental criteria.
