Free Range or Value eggs?

competitionscafe

ceridwen wrote: »

Well - this whole debate will hopefully soon be over. I see that Sainsburys have now joined the ranks of supermarkets that refuse to stock battery eggs:beer: :T . I think a couple of supermarkets already refuse to? (eg the Co-op).

M&S, Waitrose and Co-op all don't stock battery eggs:

Sainsburys "will remove battery eggs from its 790 stores by February 5, in what welfare campaigners described as a "breathtaking move". They have now urged Sainsbury's rivals Tesco, Asda and Morrisons to follow its example.
Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Waitrose have already stopped selling battery eggs, but Sainsbury's is the biggest retailer to make the move." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/batteryfarming/4276716/Sainsburys-to-ban-battery-eggs.html

63.3% of all UK eggs still come from battery (caged) hens though.

Sainsburys will still sell barn eggs, so not all their eggs will be free-range. Unlike M&S where all eggs and all products containing eggs are free-range.

Barn eggs are better in the sense that chickens are not in cages. In 2012 the current battery cages will be illegal in all EU countries but in Britain, "enriched cages", which are larger and have a perch, nest and litter, will still be legal but Germany will also ban these cages.

pink_princess

I think sainsburys not selling battery hens eggs is a great thing.(our durham stores last delivery is the 21st) But i worrry that more pressure will be put on farmers to squeeze down the costs of free range and then standards will start to slip again.
Buying from local farms is the best option but not suitable for all.
This thread has some very good info in it.
I thank you s for educating me a bit (god i need it lol)
PP

MrsMW

I usually buy eggs from the farm shop but haven't been this week, however I got the new free range eggs at Sainsburys, pack of 15 assorted sizes £2. I thought this was very reasonable, they seem to be decent sizes.

EssexHebridean

MrsMW wrote: »

I usually buy eggs from the farm shop but haven't been this week, however I got the new free range eggs at Sainsburys, pack of 15 assorted sizes £2. I thought this was very reasonable, they seem to be decent sizes.

I saw these yesterday and will definitely use them to top up my farmers market supplies. I also just said to MrEH that we will buy eggs in Sainsburys in the future as and when we have to buy from the supermarket as a direct result of their determination to stop selling battery eggs.

By the way, for information - Hellmans mayonnaise is now made with FR eggs, so is another "safe" product for those of us who want to cut out battery eggs even from prepared foodstuffs. If you keep an eye out and buy when it's on special offer it doesn't even work out much pricier than the supermarket brands either.

DonnaP

Hi

Can anyone tell me what the code 3UK means on my eggs (these are from a local farm that describes itself as free range), but doesn't this code mean they are from caged eggs?).

Donna

Farway

As you suspected, 3 is battery eggs

0 = Organic
1 = Free range
2 = barn / perchery
3 = battery / caged

Do they actually sell the eggs as free range or is just a general sign somewhere?

If sold as Free Range I would inform them you know they are fibbing, and if they still doing the same week after report them to trading standards

smiler34

If you start looking at free range eggs then surely you should be looking at the conditions in which the chickens, pork etc that you buy is raised, it can all get quite expensive depending on how moral you want to be. Know it sounds harsh.

DonnaP

smiler34 wrote: »

If you start looking at free range eggs then surely you should be looking at the conditions in which the chickens, pork etc that you buy is raised, it can all get quite expensive depending on how moral you want to be. Know it sounds harsh.

Who says I don't look at these conditions?

That is why I buy free range pork, chicken etc and organic where possible. I buy free range eggs from a farm shop that I now find are from battery hens. What is your point?

smiler34

Was directign it at the OP hun and wasn't being nasty just stating a point

DonnaP

Farway wrote: »

Do they actually sell the eggs as free range or is just a general sign somewhere?

If sold as Free Range I would inform them you know they are fibbing, and if they still doing the same week after report them to trading standards

I have seen eggs from these producers labelled as free range. The eggs from the farm shop are in plain boxes.

I have rung the farm shop and wasn't able to speak to the owner, but the young lad told me they aren't free range eggs but barn eggs. I told him I was disappointed as I pressumed that eggs from a farm shop would be free range. I also told him they weren't even barn eggs as they had a 3 code on them. He said he would tell the owner.

I am going to phone the owner tomorrow and see what he says, but I am going to go and have a look at the eggs I have seen in other shops from this producer (with free range written in big letters!) and see what code they have on. If they aren't code 1 I will go to trading standards.

I will now buy my eggs from the woman a few doors down who keeps chickens over on her allotment (I can see them from my window). They are what I expect free range to be!

I feel very fed up - I have been buying eggs from this farm shop for years thinking I was making a stand against battery eggs. :mad:

Donna