Compliments Naturally Simple - The pleasure of making responsible choices! - All Sobeys Québec banners now offering Certified Humane® meat

MONTREAL, Aug. 27, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Sobeys Québec is proud to be offering their Compliments Naturally Simple brand Certified Humane® meat to customers throughout the province. This makes Sobeys the first distributor to have such a product under their own private label. The initiative is a direct out-growth of the commitments Sobeys Québec made in May 2014 when they created their company movement The Joy of Eating Better.

First and foremost Quebec products
Sobeys Québec banner merchants from IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Marché Bonichoix, and Rachelle-Béry have always made it a priority to support local products. So the company is thrilled to have developed their first Certified Humane® product line which includes four cuts of poultry produced exclusively in Quebec:

• Chicken breasts
• Chicken drumsticks
• Chicken thighs
• Flattened chicken

Each product is vacuum sealed so it will keep for between 28 and 35 days depending on the cut. The products will gradually make their way onto shelves in most banner stores.

The Compliments Naturally Simple line
These products are part of the new line of Sobeys Québec's private label called Compliments Naturally Simple. Among the strong points it should be noted that the products come from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones, no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours, and no hydrogenated oils or fats. This product line is growing every day in response to the demands of increasingly informed consumers who want to provide their families with products made of simple, authentic, and healthy ingredients.

What exactly does Certified Humane® mean?
This certification was implemented by The Humane Farm Animal Care organization and imposes strict standards in terms of breeding, handling, transport, and slaughter of livestock. With the goal of continually improving the range of the private label products they offer, Sobeys Québec is proud to work with producers who place great importance on:

• access to wholesome and nutritious feed for their animals which contains no growth hormones or antibiotics
• an environment that allows them to perform their natural behaviour with access to shelter, rest areas, and open spaces
• skilled, knowledgeable, and conscientious care that respects the animals
• considerate handling, transport, and slaughter

A long-term company movement
This project is a clear reflection of The Joy of Eating Better, a major directional shift that the company took in May 2014 after asking themselves how they could build on their role as food experts in order to have a concrete, long-term impact on consumers' lives. Sobeys Québec thus created this new movement which from that point on would guide everything they did, and would be expressed to consumers in the form of four pillars: making responsible choices (which clearly includes promoting local Quebec products), eating healthier, discovering local and international flavours, and cooking differently and more often, while never compromising on enjoyment.

The arrival of this new line of private label, Certified Humane® meat reflects a long-term commitment to improving the quality of Quebecers' lives through food.

About Sobeys Québec
Sobeys Québec is a subsidiary of Sobeys Inc., wholly owned by Empire Company Limited. Headquartered in Montréal-Nord, Sobeys Québec operates several banners, including IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Marché Bonichoix, Rachelle-Béry health food stores, and various convenience stores. The goal of Sobeys Québec is to be an unparalleled creator of experiences that inspire Quebecers to eat better. It therefore chooses top-tier partners and constantly innovates to offer consumers better choices.

SOURCE Sobeys Québec

Laurie Fossat, 514-324-1010, ext. 2158, [email protected]