Updates

All information has been based on the sources referenced with a view to accuracy at time of printing, however, as is the nature of a guide such as this, changes become apparent almost immediately upon printing.

Updates to the February 2008 printing of 'The Guide To Ethical Supermarket Shopping' are listed below.
Click here for a page by page update.

Please send any comments or updates to info@ethical.org.au.

New Product Types

Electronics - Computers, Gaming Consoles, Mobile Phones, Televisions

Supermarket - Garden Care, Iced Tea, Light Globes, Other Breads, Paper Towels, Popcorn, Soy Sauce, Water Ices

Personal Care - Antiseptic, Hair Colour, Hairspray/Gel, Hair Removal, Hand Wash, Tanning Lotions

Changes

Boycott list updated
The following companies have had their rating changed from a boycott to a cross : Mars, Bayer, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive & Sara Lee
Companies new to the boycott list are Kimberly-Clark, Microsoft, & Tata. Visit our boycott page

Dairy Farmers
All brands owned by Dairy Farmers now receive a cross, after being bought by National Foods (owned by Japanese alcohol and pharmaceuticals giant Kirin)

Kellogg
Kellogg's now receive a cross due to a US boycott of all Kellogg's products, called by the Organic Consumers Association (USA), after Kellogg's refuses to source only GE-Free Sugar. Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Genetically Engineered Sugar is due to hit stores in late 2008, exposing millions of American consumers to untested and unlabeled "Franken Foods" that threaten human heath, the environment and farmers' rights everywhere.

Tata Group
A boycott has been called on Tata by the Burma Campaign UK, for directly or indirectly helping to finance Burma’s brutal military dictatorship. Tata, a huge Indian conglomerate, owns Tetley tea, as well as car makers Jaguar and Land Rover.

Coca Cola Amatil
Coca Cola Amatil will now receive a "cross", signifying criticims, due to their direct involvemnent in Alcohol production, outlined in the Corporate Monitor tables in 'Ethical Investor', April 2007. Pacific Beverages is a joint venture between SABMiller and Coca-Cola Amatil; they additionally distribute SAB's imported beers and spirits; and have announced the building of a 500,000 hectolitre brewery at Warnervale, just outside Gosford, NSW.

Additionally there has been some comment on the "Boycott Call" rating received by Coca-Cola company (USA) is not reflected in CC Amatil's rating. The Coca-Cola company own 35% of CC Amatil and so in keeping with our methodology, are not the majority holding company (parent).

Coca Cola Amatil had previously received a "tick" due to their involvement with National Packaging Covenant and Greenhouse challenge.

This affects all CC Amatil products including those by SPC and Admona. (major brands - AJC, Ardmona, Balgay, Coca-Cola, Crusta, Deep Spring, Ecks, Fanta, Frutibox, Frutonic, Frutopia,Goulburn Valley, Grinders ,Happy Valley, Hi-C, IXL, KidsFruitz, Kirks, Lift, Mount Frankin, Neverfail, Peats Ridge, Powerade, Pump, Shelley's, Southern Cross, SPC, Sprite, Taurina Spa, Taylor's Sauces, some Weight Watchers).

Kraft Foods Inc.
Kraft Foods was spun off from parent company Altria in March 2007, and is now an independent publicly held company. The Altria Group and subsidiaries had been subject to an international Boycott from 1993 due to another of their subsidiaries being Philip Morris, the largest tobacco company in the world.

This means Kraft Foods (and subsidiary Kraft Foods Australia) no longer receive the "boycott call" but retain their 'cross' due to criticisms of: 'poor wages for coffee farmers' (Oxfam International Make Trade Fair 'Stir it up!' campaign); and 'broad use of genetically engineered crops' (www.krafty.org).

Cerebos Australia
Cerebos Australia will now receive a "cross", due to their parent company, Suntory (Japan), being directly involved in alcohol production

Pepsico
Pepsico will now receive a "cross", due to criticisms of their misleading promotion of bottled water

Playtex Products
Playtex will now receive a "cross", due to their involvement in animal testing

Pfizer
All Pfizer consumer products are now owned by Johnson & Johnson (Both are foreign owned with a cross)

Wrigleys
Mars Inc., backed by billionaire Warren Buffett, acquired chewing gum company Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for $US23 billion in 2008, and created the world's biggest candy maker. (Foreign owned with a cross)

Boots Healthcare
Reckitt Benckiser plc acquired Boots Healthcare International in 2005. Upon completion of the sale Boots Healthcare Australia Pty Ltd changed its name to Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Ltd.

KR Castlemaine
British owned George Weston Foods Ltd bought smallgoods company KR Castlemaine in 2008

Food Holdings (trading as Manassen Foods) is Australian owned.

Three Threes Condiments is Australian owned.

Mrs Crocket's Kitchen is Australian owned.

Da Vinci Foods is Australian owned.

Rosella brand is owned by Stuart Alexander & Co (Australian owned with a tick)
Rosella has products under SAUCES, PASTA SAUCE, CONDIMENTS and CANNED SOUP

Jasper coffee receive an "outstanding product feature" star due to some of their products having fairtrade and organic certification.

Bayer is not owned by Monsanto. However Bayer still receive a cross for commercial production of genetically modified crops and use of hazardous chemicals in pesticides.

Brut & Norsca brand deodorants are now owned by Pharmacare Laboratories (Australian owned with a tick)

Ally, John West & Seakist brands of canned fish are now owned by Simplot Australia (foreign owned with a tick)

Sealord brand frozen fish is owned by Sealord (foreign owned with a ~)

To update your print Guide, click here for a page by page update