Tesco to Stop Selling Caged Eggs by 2025
Tesco has today announced that it is to stop sourcing eggs
from caged hens by 2025. This comes after the retailer conducted a detailed
review of its egg sourcing strategy, which included consultation with
suppliers, industry experts and other key stakeholders.
The move is the latest initiative designed to ensure Tesco
sources products in a sustainable way. Tesco recently launched its Fair
For Farmers Guarantee for fresh milk which demonstrates how every own label
pint of milk helps support British dairy farmers. Tesco has also introduced
guaranteed high value contracts for British potato growers, and sustainable
farming programmes for lamb farmers and producers of cheese.
Earlier this year the supermarket launched new fresh produce
ranges, including a number of Farm Brands and its Perfectly
Imperfect range, which allows Tesco to take more fresh produce from British
growers - up to 95 per cent of their crop. Tesco has also pledged to source
more of the seafood it offers customers in a sustainable way, in partnership
with the Marine Stewardship Council.
Working with supplier partners, Tesco will transition to
100% cage-free eggs, moving to alternative sourcing methods, such as barns,
free range and organic.
At present, some 43% of the 1.4 billion eggs sold by Tesco
each year come from caged eggs, also known as enriched colonies. Some 57% of
eggs sold by Tesco in the UK come from Free Range or Organic methods.
Matt Simister, Tesco's Commercial Director for Fresh Food
said:
“Our decision on caged hens is one of a number of Tesco
initiatives designed to ensure sustainable sourcing, and improve animal
welfare.
“We carried out an extensive and collaborative review with
our suppliers and key industry experts to help us work through how best we can
move to 100% cage-free eggs. This will ensure we give our supplier partners the
certainty they require, to make the significant and necessary investments
needed for the new farming systems.”
Veli Moluluo, Managing Director - Noble Foods Ltd, Tesco's
largest supplier of eggs, said:
“We have already started investigating new methods of egg
production, and the commitment from Tesco to move away from enriched colony
production in a manageable timeframe gives us the confidence and ability to
invest for the long term”.
During the transition from enriched colony production, Tesco
and its supplier partners will continue to maintain established and stringent
standards for all its egg producers. Tesco's producers are required to meet
high welfare specifications and must comply with the British Lion Code of
Practice to ensure that all Tesco eggs have been sourced responsibly.
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