ALDI shoppers are charged 30 per cent more for prize-winning, "grass-fed" beef cuts. But Fairfax Media has found the claim is potentially misleading and the medals should never have been awarded.
The fast-growing supermarket chain has admitted its Highland Park-branded grass-fed beef products are from cattle given supplementary feed with grain in bad weather conditions.
Under local and international best practice standards, grass-fed cattle must never consume grain or grain by-products. Further, they can only graze on cereal crops at the pre-grain stage.
While Aldi's products are not grass-fed-certified under the Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System, it has entered representative cuts into food shows, including the prestigious Sydney Royal, that clearly stipulate cattle described as grass-fed must never eat grain.
Grass-fed cattle farmer Ian McCamley, from Central Queensland, said Aldi's claim had the potential to mislead customers and hurt genuine grass-fed producers. He is one of 290 PCAS-certified producers in Australia.
"If it makes the grass-fed claim, the cattle should never be fed grain. If they have been, I'm dead against that. It's not fair on the consumer," he said.
"Products making grass fed claims need to be genuine and back with a system of integrity. If not then it just tarnishes the grass-fed claim."
Mr McCamley said Aldi's questionable grass-fed production methods meant it could offer cuts at a lower price, disadvantaging other producers and retailers.
Aldi's porterhouse grass-fed is $25.99 a kilogram, 30 per cent more than its grain-fed equivalent. Coles' porterhouse grass-fed is $34 a kilogram.
Grass-fed beef is fast becoming popular for being higher welfare, compared to grain-fed or feedlot-fed, and for containing less fat and more omega fatty acids that can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Aldi has adorned the packaging of its Highland Park grass-fed porterhouse, scotch fillet and eye fillet with show medal logos from the Sydney Royal and Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show.
The logos can significantly boost sales and revenue.
Tim Slack-Smith, Sydney Royal's chief steward for the branded beef competition, confirmed a grass-fed producer could submit a cut only if the cattle had been fed 100 per cent on grass.
"Should an entry be found to have grain-fed in a grass class, then they would be penalised ... if it was to go through all the way and receive an award and then found to not be schedule, then the exhibitor would be stripped of its award," he said.
The Royal Queensland show's guidelines state the entry must adhere to PCAS principles. Aldi signed a statutory declaration stating it was obeying the guidelines.
Gary Noller, beef cattle committee chairman of the Royal National Association, which runs the Royal Queensland show, said if an exhibitor intentionally made a false statement, there could be legal ramifications and consequences under the RNA by-laws.
"If a written complaint is made, then it will be dealt with in accordance with the RNA by-laws," he said.
Aldi has told customers multiple times on Facebook that grass-fed cattle could be given grain to ensure their welfare when weather conditions are bad. It confirmed this to Fairfax Media.
"Aldi is fully compliant with all current legal requirements for food labelling," a spokesman said.
"'Grass-fed' does not imply that animals are 100 per cent grass-fed with no grains at all in the diet. As we have publicly shared, we allow grain supplements when weather necessitates, for the animal's welfare."
Mr McCamley, a fifth generation farmer, said PCAS was developed because producers felt current legal requirements for beef labelling were too lax.
"Customers are paying a premium for grass-fed. We need to give them that guarantee. That's why they should look out for products with the PCAS logo, meaning its underpinned by a robust system."
Woolworths said it sold both PCAS-certified and non-certified grass-fed beef. It would not expand on whether its non-certified grass-fed cuts were from cattle that may have been fed grain.
Coles runs its own grass-fed certification system, but it is endorsed by PCAS. It said grass-fed was becoming "very popular" with customers.
"In the event producers do supplement grass-fed animals with grain, Coles will still buy their cattle however we do not sell it as grass-fed," a spokesman said. " No Coles grass-fed beef has ever been fed on grain."
Consumer advocacy group Choice said there is a plethora of confusing claims on beef packaging, such as pasture-fed, bio-dynamic, free-range, and organic.
"These claims tend to carry a premium price tag, so you want to make sure they're worth the extra money," said Choice's Tom Godfrey.
