AAP FACTCHECK – One hundred per cent Australian milk has been removed completely from Coles stores, a Facebook post states.
This is misleading. One Victorian milk brand has been removed from many, but not all, Coles stores.
One of the Facebook posts sharing the claim says: “100% Aussie milk removed completely from Coles shelves”.
The post is misleading as it’s unclear whether it is stating 100 per cent of Australian milk has been removed from stores, or that one brand of 100 per cent Australian-owned and produced milk has been removed entirely.
Both scenarios are false.
The post’s author does provide a link to a story containing correct information in the comments section of the post. However, it’s clear from other comments that many readers have not clicked through to the story.
As other media outlets have reported, Gippsland Jersey says its milk is being removed from 65 Victorian Coles stores from July, and will only be stocked at about 16 Coles sites in the state going forward.
Gippsland Jersey posted about the decision on Facebook on June 6.
They penned a more extensive statement on June 10.
The dairy’s co-founders, Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, say in the statement that the brand was being “delisted” from the majority of stores “due to the retailer’s margin requirements and sales expectations”.
The statement continues: “This decision by Coles overlooks the broader impact on family farms and rural communities, which depend on the viability of local dairy businesses like Gippsland Jersey to provide jobs and transport, etc and more importantly you would think in giving consumers a choice”.
Coles says it’s committed to selling the milk in Victorian stores where there is the most demand.
Coles told AAP FactCheck that all of the fresh white milk it sells in its stores originates from Australian dairy farms.
However, while it may come from Australian farms, much of the milk sold in Australian supermarkets is ultimately owned by foreign companies, including Pauls, Devondale and Sungold.
Exceptions include Australian-owned Riverina Fresh and Norco Co-op.
The Verdict
The claim that 100 per cent Australian milk has been completely removed from Coles stores is misleading.
The statement refers specifically to one milk provider, Gippsland Jersey, which has been removed from many Coles stores due to a disagreement over pricing, according to the dairy.
Misleading – The claim is accurate in parts but information has also been presented incorrectly, out of context or omitted.
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