By Sharon Webb

WOOLWORTHS HAS axed the

butcher in its Deloraine store and all meat is being shipped, ready-packaged, into the store. But it will not say whether the Prospect store will retain its butcher. In addition, the Woolworths meat is no longer individually priced at Deloraine but has a small tag on the shelf, making it difficult for sight-challenged people to read the total price and the price per kilogram. A Deloraine store employee confirmed the butcher position was axed three to four months ago and Woolworths’ media spokesperson said the change was not specific to the Deloraine store. ‘We announced in June changes nationally to our store operating model to better meet the changing needs of our customers. This happened nationally in all stores,’ she said. Deloraine’s store manager said many customers had complained about the packaging on the shipped meat, which makes red meat look an unappetising shade of purple. She said she was powerless to do anything about it.

‘Lindsay’, a spokesman at the online Woolworths Customer Hub, said the new shipped meat packaging is ‘Sealed Fresh’ packaging, a form of vacuum packaging with no oxygen. ‘Meat is naturally a darker colour (a burgundy type colour) but changes to the bright red you are used to when exposed to oxygen. ‘As Sealed Fresh Packaging is completely sealed to keep out oxygen and keep meat fresh, the meat colour stays the natural dark colour. ‘This is not due to any chemical addition or treatment but is the natural colour of the meat.’ Lindsay said prices had been removed from some set weight products to ‘reduce complexity in-store’.

This allows stores to quickly reduce the price or put products on promotion without the risk of stock being incorrectly labelled. Each shelf will have the prices clearly displayed for our customers,’ he said. Woolworths says the Sealed Fresh packaging is widely used as it seals in freshness for improved quality. ‘Meat packaged in Sealed Fresh is more tender and tastier than other packaging methods. This product also lasts longer, allowing customers to be more flexible with how and when they use the product and helping to reduce food waste,’ Lindsay said. Woolworths media office would not confirm the origin of Deloraine’s meat. ‘We continue to work closely with local producers to source meat where possible from within the state, with the majority of our beef sold in stores sourced locally from Tasmanian producers.’