| Dive into Action
for Ducks
Since the launch of Viva!'s campaign, Sainsburys,
Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose, Somerfield and
ASDA have stopped selling meat from debeaked Muscovy
(also known as Barbary) ducks. Harrods have withdrawn
all factory farmed duck meat. Waitrose now only sells
meat from 'free-range' ducks, and now provides outdoor
ponds for swimming. Marks & Spencer has introduced
'free-range' ducks, at least for some of the ducks they
sell since our
Day of Action against them. These victories show that
consumer pressure works! However, many still stock
intensively farmed meat from Mallard-type ducks. Please
write or call the following and ask them to withdraw
it and stop selling duck meat altogether.
(Updated November 2009)
Stuart Rose, Chief Executive,
Marks & Spencer, Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Rd, London, W21 NW
Email at: retailcustomer.services@marks-and-spencer.com.
Call customer services on 0845 302 1234
Please note: Marks & Spencer says that all of
their 'fresh duck' is free range, but they do not have
access to water for swimming. They do not make these
claims for the other duck they sell (such as in duck
wraps or frozen products), which means that it is
possible that this duck meat comes from more intensive
indoor units. We believe that any welfare policy should
be equal across all their range - and they should at the
very least follow Waitrose's example by allowing ducks
access to water for swimming. Tell Marks & Spencer they
should not be farming ducks at all.
Justin King,
Group Chief Executive
J Sainsbury plc,
33 Holborn,
London,
EC1N 2HT
Email Sainsbury's from their website:
www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/contact_us/contact_us.jsp
Call customer Services on freefone 0800 636 262
Please note: Sainsbury's ducks are factory farmed
indoors and never see water for swimming. See
here for our recent expose of their supplier. They
did sell 'free-range' ducks, but stopped because of lack
of sales (possibly because their customers weren't made
aware of the differences). They now claim 'welfare
problems' for not being able to have free-range ducks -
but that doesn't stop Marks & Spencer nor Waitrose. They
also claim that are moving over to the RSPCA's Freedom
Foods standards for ducks - but that does not mean
'free-range'. In fact, those standards allow what we
would say is still intensive farming. They also claim to
allow ducks access to open water, but that is
misleading. What they are actually talking about is a
water trough just 50cm by 20cm - not per bird but per
100 birds! For birds who would enjoy the freedom of an
open river in the wild this is a major welfare insult.
Tell Sainsbury's they should not be farming ducks at
all.
Marc J. Bolland, CEO,
Morrisons / Safeways, Hillmore House,
Thorton Rd, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 7DL
Call customer services on 0845 611 6111
Please note: Morrisons are claiming to be
selling RSPCA Freedom Foods 'Breckland' ducks from MFD
Foods (a subsidiary of Gressingham Foods). This means
that it is almost certain that they never go outside
and do not have water for swimming. See information on
Sainsbury's for Freedom Foods standards. Tell
Morrisons they should not be farming ducks at all.
John Cleland, Managing Director,
Somerfield Stores, Somerfield House, Whitchurch
Lane, Bristol BS14 OTJ
Email Somerfield from their website:
www.somerfield.co.uk/contactus
Call customer services on freefone 0800 0686 727
Please note: the Co-op now owns Somerfield (hence the same contact details),
which means that their welfare standards are likely to
be the same.
Peter Marks, Group Chief Executive,
Co-Op, PO Box 53, New Century House, Manchester
M60 4ES.
Email Co-op at:
customer.relations@co-op.co.uk
Call customer services on 0800 0686 727
Please note: Co-op ducks are not
'free-range'. This means that, despite meeting RSPCA
Freedom Foods' standards they never go outside and do
not have water for swimming. See information on
Sainsbury's for Freedom Foods standards. Tell Co-op
they should not be farming ducks at all.
Philip Clarke, Chief Executive,
Tesco, Tesco House, PO Box 18, Delamare Road, Cheshunt,
Herts EN8 9SL
Email at: customer.services@tesco.co.uk.
Call customer services on freefone 0800 505 555
Please note: Tesco ducks are not
'free-range'. This means that, despite meeting RSPCA
Freedom Foods' standards they never go outside and do
not have water for swimming. See information on
Sainsbury's for Freedom Foods standards. Tell Tesco
they should not be farming ducks at all.
Mark Price, Managing Director,
Waitrose, Southern Industrial Area, Bracknell
RG12 8YA
Email at: customer_service@waitrose.co.uk
Call customer services on freephone 0800 188
884
Please note: Comparatively, Waitrose offer
the best welfare system for ducks raised for meat.
From the age of three weeks ducks have access to
pasture and ponds for swimming. This raises the
questions as to why other supermarkets cannot follow
suit? However, in the past, Waitrose have said that
their 'small' flocks are actually in excess of
4,000 ducks - hardly small scale! Also, Waitrose ducks
will still live only a fraction of their natural
lifespan before being sent to slaughter. Tell Waitrose
they should not be farming ducks at all.
Andy Bond, President,
Asda, Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson
Street, Leeds, LS11 5AD
Email Asda from their website:
http://your.asda.com/section-contact-asda
Call customer services on 0844
481 5000
Please note: We are waiting
on a reply from Asda to let us know about their duck
standards. However, their meat packaging makes no
claims that their ducks are 'free-range', so it is
unlikely that they are. Tell Asda they should
not be farming ducks at all.
You can use
our letter to write to the above supermarkets.
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