A huge change in the way eggs can be legally labelled and sold in shops, including supermarkets, such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's And Morrisons or Oldie And Lidl is introduced by the government.
In particular, conscientious buyers may be concerned about changes to the packaging of eggs in boxes that will disguise the fact that the barns actually contain “free-range” hens.
The government today announced a change to the egg labelling law for egg producers and packers. When the new law comes into force later this year, egg producers will no longer have to change packaging to reflect when free-range hens are placed in a “chicken castle” inside barns during outbreaks of bird flu.
When bird flu outbreaks occur, even free-ranging chickens are moved into barns and cages to stop the spread of the deadly disease.
The government said: “Currently, when mandatory measures to keep birds indoors are introduced to protect birds from the spread of disease, eggs from free-range birds can only continue to be labelled as 'free-range' for 16 weeks after the holding order comes into force – the existing 'derogation' period under the Egg Marketing Standards Regulations. After this period, these eggs must be labelled as barn eggs.”
However, the 16-week period is being scrapped after the government said the limit was exceeded twice, for a total of 13 weeks in 2021-22 and 2022-23, “resulting in significant costs to the industry” as all labels and packaging had to be changed after hens were kept indoors for longer than 16 weeks.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Amendments to current legislation to be introduced by statutory instrument later this year will mean that free-range eggs can continue to be labelled as such throughout the period of mandatory animal welfare measures.”
“This move will reduce unnecessary red tape and costs for UK manufacturers, as well as strengthen the supply chain and maintain consumer confidence.”
This means that conscientious buyers will not be able to tell whether a chicken is caged despite being labelled as free-range, although this measure is intended to benefit the chicken itself to prevent bird flu infection.
Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, said: “We understand the pressures the egg sector is facing and the devastating impact an outbreak of bird flu could have on their business. Removing the need to change labels on eggs and packaging will help them reduce costs and remain competitive.
“This government will restore stability and confidence in the sector, offering farmers a new course to stimulate rural economic growth and strengthen food security while restoring nature.”