A disturbing video has emerged of pigeons pecking at loaves of bread in crates outside a Coles store.
The footage was captured by a shopper in the suburb of Concord, in Sydney’s affluent inner-west.
The clip, which was posted to a local Facebook group on Thursday, appeared to show two pigeons perched on the crates and pecking at the bread.
The loaves were wrapped in plastic but the birds seemed intent on getting to their contents.
It wasn’t clear if the loaves were fresh and waiting to go on store shelves, or if they had been discarded.
According to guidelines from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand food businesses must keep storage areas clean, dry and free of pests.
Food businesses must also make sure food packaging isn’t damaged and food must not be stored in warm or humid areas or in direct sunlight.
Exposure to warm conditions can spoil food products, especially perishable items.
The clip, which was uploaded to a local Facebook group, showed two pigeons standing on the crates (pictured) as they tried to help themselves to the bread
The crates of bread appeared to be have been left unattended by staff members from the store (pictured stock image)
The cost of loaves of bread sold at the supermarket giant can range from $2.50 to as much as $7.90 according to the Coles website.
The grim discovery comes after a Coles shopper called attention to discarded fruits and vegetables outside another Sydney store earlier this year.
The man found fresh and edible products including tomatoes, potatoes and onions inside a large recycling bin, which had been knocked over, out the back of the store in the ritzy suburb of Rose Bay in February.
The thrown-out veggies included a bag of celery which costs $4.50 a bunch.
The shopper took to social media to slam the supermarket giant for tossing the produce and uploaded several images, which showed the discarded items.
He said the produce could have been eaten by Aussies struggling to afford groceries due to the cost of living crisis.
‘Except for an overripe banana, all of the produce was in excellent condition as you can see clearly in these photos,’ he wrote.
‘Not sure about the rest of you, but I went grocery shopping for the family last weekend and felt sick at the cash register because of the total cost of our shopping.’
The grim discovery comes after a Coles shopper noticed a large green recycling bin outside of another store in Sydney filled with discarded fruits and vegetables (pictured)
A Coles spokesperson at the time told Daily Mail Australia the company has initiatives in place to reduce food waste.
‘As a food retailer, we love food and do not want it to go to waste,’ the spokesperson said.
Last month a class action law firm filed a lawsuit against both Coles and Woolworths over their allegedly dodgy sales prices.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coles for comment.
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