UK: Free-range eggs take up battery eggs shelf space
Now, four years before the ban of battery cages is introduced in the EU, major stores in England have begun phasing out eggs from caged birds.
According to the British newspaper, The Telegraph, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op and Morrisons have all agreed to ban eggs from caged birds while Marks & Spencer and Waitrose already sell only free-range eggs.
Additionally, all products that contain egg ingredients will use free-range varieties.
In 2012, the EU ban on battery cages will come into effect. Major supermarket chains will clear their shelves of battery-caged eggs over the next two years.
The Telegraph says that Asda and Tesco have not yet followed suit, but have cut back shelf space given to battery hen eggs.
Sainsbury’s said it was the first major supermarket to announce a ban on battery hen eggs and was expected to end the sale of all such eggs by next year. Morrisons also plans to stop selling eggs from caged hens by 2010.
Since 2003, Marks & Spencer have only sold eggs from non-caged hens while the majority of Waitrose’s eggs were also free-range.
Meanwhile, Tesco and Asda have almost doubled the amount of free-range or barn eggs they stock, but have so far failed to introduce a ban. Asda said it stocked only one line of eggs from caged birds, but there is no deadline to end that. Tesco said it was reducing shelf space for eggs from caged hens but some customers could not afford free-range varieties.
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