UK retailer to promote free range

ASDA says that the eggs it sells are from the UK and clearly display the Lion logo, which guarantees food and welfare standards. The Lion mark also indicates that free-range hens have been vaccinated against salmonella, which cannot be guaranteed on imported eggs, the company said.

ASDA has pledged that it won’t sell any eggs sourced from abroad in either its own label range of eggs or branded range of eggs and has challenged its rivals to do the same.

Waitrose, and M&S have also indicated their commitment to this stance.

ASDA’s recently-launched eco-friendly free-range eggs, called Respectful, come from hens reared from local chicks, fed on locally milled wheat, housed in sheds powered by solar panels, wind turbines and bio-diesel.

John Widdowson, Vice Chairman of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association said: “We want to see all retailers supporting British free range egg producers. There is no reason why British farmers can’t supply all of the free range eggs consumers want to buy – but they need supermarkets to invest here in the UK, not abroad”.