BRITISH egg producers have launched a petition calling on retailers to use UK eggs in their own-label products produced in Britain.
See also: Sign the petition
It follows a new survey of 3,000 British shoppers on attitudes towards the use of eggs and egg ingredients, which found:
- Two-thirds of shoppers were disappointed to discover that the egg in certain food they buy is not British
- More than 60% of shoppers are worried about the quality and safety of eggs produced in other countries
- Almost half of shoppers would change what or where they buy their food if they discovered British eggs were not being used
- Shoppers want to see the British Lion mark on foods that contain eggs, with more than three quarters saying they would have more confidence about the quality of foods, like salads or scotch eggs, if they knew where the egg had come from
- 75% said they would be more likely to purchase a product if the packaging featured the British Lion
British Lion Egg Products is behind the new petition.
It said: “With boxes of shell eggs on sale in the major retailers clearly produced to British Lion standards, consumers expect the egg ingredients will be too, but they are being misled as there is little or no information on pack to tell them otherwise.
“In recent years, there have been a number of food safety issues associated with egg products produced in Europe and further afield. Using them also adds unnecessary food miles and does not guarantee the high standards set out in the Code of Practice for the Production of Lion Quality Egg Products.”
Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “The petition is a perfect opportunity for consumers to stand up to the major retailers and show that they are not willing to accept lower standards when it comes to the use of egg in prepared foods.
“We strongly urge them, as well as all of our colleagues in the British farming industry, to sign and share it.
“Together, we can show our support for British farming and stop British supermarkets using imported eggs in British produced food.”
Find the petition on the Change website.
