Coles' Egg Refrigeration Practices: A Backgrounder on Customer Issues

This report provides a backgrounder on Coles' egg refrigeration practices, addressing customer concerns and potential food safety risks. The report highlights the issue of salmonella and the lack of cold storage for eggs in Coles' stores, contrasting it with the practices of other supermarkets like Woolworths and Aldi. It discusses customer reactions, the impact on Coles' brand image, and the need for the company to address these concerns. The report references relevant literature on food safety and regulatory enforcement, emphasizing the importance of maintaining food safety standards and building customer trust. The report also mentions the role of the food authority in this issue.

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Backgrounder
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BACKGROUNDER
Customer reacts badly with egg refrigeration in Coles
Recently, the grocery store chains of Australia are facing customer worst customer reactions
regarding the issue of egg refrigeration. Many scientists have warned the general shoppers about
buying eggs from the supermarket chains if those are not refrigerated in a cool place that is less
than seven degrees. Recently the rates of food borne sickness are increasing in Australia,
especially in the summer months. However the retail store chains, starting from the large
supermarkets to the small grocery shops are not keeping the eggs in the cold storage even after
the data shows that it could prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria (Lillebuen, 2017). The
experts say that this should be a priority for the retail stores as there are several outbreaks already
in the country. However, Coles has not yet published the data whether they are keeping the eggs
in the cold storage. This issue has had a huge impact on the brand image of the supermarkets as
the organization is facing outbreaks on social media. The customers now want to be sure before
buying eggs as the bacteria has been a major concern these days. The food authority has also
been nonchalant regarding this issue. With the experts’ statements the customers of such large
grocery chains are now raising their freshness expectations of the food products. While
Woolworths has stated that they are keeping the eggs on refrigerated shelves, Aldi does not keep
the eggs under seven degrees of temperature (Lillebuen, 2017). Recently, Coles has informed a
leading daily of Australia that they are adhering to all the possible food and health regulations
that are fixed by the government austerities of the country.

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BACKGROUNDER
Reference List
Lillebuen, S. (2017). Coles under pressure over egg safety, salmonella risk. The Sydney Morning
Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2017, from http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/coles-
under-pressure-over-egg-safety-salmonella-risk-20160110-gm2nbh.html
PARKER, C. (2013). ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES TO REGULATORY
ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE: A NEW COMMON SENSE ABOUT
REGULATION; SPECIAL EDITOR: SUSAN S. SILBEY: FRAMING AND
INTERPRETING THE REGULATORY ENTERPRISE: Voting with Your Fork?
Industrial Free-Range Eggs and the Regulatory Construction of Consumer
Choice. Annals, 649, 52-180.
Parker, C., Brunswick, C., & Kotey, J. (2013). The Happy Hen on Your Supermarket
Shelf. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 10(2), 165-186.