Coles will be the first national food retailer to sell only hormone growth promotant (HGP)-free beef.
The supermarket giant will be sourcing HGP-free beef from its Australian cattle producers.
Allister Watson, Coles general manager of meat, said in statement that Coles has been working with its beef suppliers over the last 18 months to build a dedicated hormone-free supply chain.
“A range of scientific studies have also confirmed that HGPs can adversely affect eating quality,” he said.
He also added the changes have been implemented due to widespread consumer concerns about additives in food and livestock and animal welfare practices.
“The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system shows that meat quality is significantly better without the use of HGPs.”
According to Coles, neither customers nor suppliers would be financially disadvantaged by the move to better quality meat.
“We’ve agreed with suppliers that Coles will absorb any additional production costs that arise from moving to HGP-free beef and we’ll ensure that Coles on-shelf prices are not affected by this move,” Watson said.