WattAgNet: Free-range eggs must be clearly labeled, BFREPA says02-08-2016
Written August 1, 2016 Clear product labeling will be crucial as more retailers announce that they will stop selling eggs from enriched colony cage systems, the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) says. Aldi, Tesco, Iceland, Morrisons and food service company Sodexo have all pledged to phase out sourcing caged eggs by 2025. Barn egg production, which has no cages but sees birds housed permanently, is likely to fill the gap left by reduced demand for caged eggs, according to BFREPA. Many shoppers already choose to buy free-range eggs but BFREPA CEO Robert Gooch said that it must be clear to shoppers what they are buying. “Labeling a dozen eggs as ‘cage free’ is not good enough because many shoppers will assume that means free-range,” Gooch said. “A great deal of thought needs to go in to how these eggs are marketed to the public in a way that accurately reflects how they have been produced.” Keep free-range eggs affordable “We recognize that the announcement from these major retailers and food service companies reflects the desire from the British public to move away from caged systems and we will be working hard to ensure that the interests of free range producers and consumers are not compromised.” |