No conventional eggs imported into UK
DEFRA has been urged to ensure that conventional cage eggs are banned from imports so they may not be available for sale in the UK after 2012.
EPIC president Aled Griffiths has called on DEFRA to ensure a ban is in place on the import of conventional chickens eggs, as after 2012, this system is no longer legal in the country.
According to Griffiths, there will be approx. 150 mln layers (58%) still in conventional cages in 2012. “With the current banking crisis making it difficult for producers to obtain credit, I believe it won’t be possible for the entire EU egg sector to convert in time,” he said.
“So with this in mind, it is important to know that there will be a new number four classification in the egg stamp to differentiate enriched colony eggs from those produced in conventional cages,” he added. These systems offer nest boxes, perches, scratching areas and more space.
Current egg stamping codes identify the production system the egg was produced under with numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 representing organic, free-range, barn and cage, respectively.
“After the ban, we don’t want any number three [conventional cage] eggs coming into this country and we want only number four [enriched colony].”
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