Almost 9 of out 10 British consumers expect eggs to be British when purchasing them, and more than two-thirds are concerned that retailers do not highlight the origin of eggs in foods such as quiches and sandwiches.
The research, carried out by the British Egg Industry Council, found that shoppers would trust retailers more if they displayed the British Lion on pre-packed food containing eggs.
“While it’s great that many products already contain British Lion egg ingredients, shoppers may be unaware as there is little to no information on the pack,” said Mark Williams, British Egg Industry Council chairman. Photo: Ronald Hissink
The survey found:
- 70% of shoppers agreed that if produce could be sourced in the UK, it should not be imported from other countries.
- 84% of consumers expect British-made food to be made with British ingredients.
- 50% of shoppers do not trust the ingredients in quiches, sandwiches and scotch eggs if there is no country-of-origin for major ingredients mentioned on the packaging.
- 86% of shoppers expect eggs to the British when purchasing or eating them.
- 69% felt it was misleading to not highlight the origin of egg ingredients.
- 86% trusted the British Lion egg producers to protect them against the food safety risk represented by imported eggs.
- 25% said eating products containing imported eggs made them feel less safe.
The research comes at a time when the volume of imported eggs is growing, despite significant increases in the size of the UK flock. Latest government figures released In January covering Q2 of 2024 found that 249 million dozen eggs were produced for human consumption, representing an increase of 6.4% compared with Q3 in 2023.
Egg imports
Eggs Unlimited, one of the leading suppliers of eggs in the UK, said that while the UK produced a significant amount of its own eggs, imports helped fill supply gaps and met market demands, particularly for processed egg products. The key sources of egg imports for the UK are the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Spain and non-EU countries, including the US, Ukraine and Thailand.
Mark Williams, British Egg Industry Council chairman, said: “Consumers put their trust in supermarkets to ensure that the food they sell is produced to the highest food safety standards and that they are being transparent when it comes to the origin of the ingredients. However, a significant number of imported eggs continue to be used in pre-prepared foods, such as quiche or egg sandwiches, that don’t meet the same food safety standards as British Lion eggs.”
Are retailers missing an opportunity?
Williams continued: “While it’s great that many products already contain British Lion egg ingredients, shoppers may be unaware as there is little to no information on the pack. This lack of information means retailers are missing out on the opportunity to reassure shoppers and build trust among them. We strongly urge retailers to help consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and start displaying the British Lion Mark on all pre-packed foods where Lion eggs are used.”
His comments come at a time when the UK’s farm assurance schemes are under major scrutiny. A report by Promar International, in conjunction with the UK farming unions and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, found that schemes must better position the UK farming industry in world food markets and in competition with imported food.
Tony Mcdougal
Source: PW
