Cracking the egg code
The different labels on eggs can be confusing. We look at their meaning and the best ones to buy for animal welfare
Hen welfare
Barn-raised, free-range, farm-fresh, farm-assured – in recent years the humble chicken’s egg has acquired a minefield of confusingly different labels. But as consumers who just want safe, ethical eggs, what do these names mean and how do we know which ones to choose? All eggs must, by law, clearly state on the box whether they are eggs from caged hens, barn eggs, free range or organic, although some also add more descriptive titles that often don’t mean a lot. Caged eggs – eggs from caged hens are produced with the lowest level of hen welfare. While battery cages have been banned across the EU since 2012, farmers now
CRACKING THE EGG CODE
Ever wondered what the letters and numbers printed on the side of your eggshell mean? use larger ‘enriched’ cages which provide a still very tiny 750cm2 per bird along with a nesting box, sleeping perch and scratching post. Although conditions are better than in battery production, many animal welfare groups claim caged living can still cause hens frustration and possible health issues. Barn eggs – these hens are also kept inside, but not in cages. Free-range hens – regulations say hens must have continuous daytime access to outdoor runs. Organic eggs – these hens must have continuous outside access, an organically produced diet and run on organic land. The maximum flock size is 3,000. They are the only eggs that guarantee not to use the standard industry practice of trimming hen beaks, done to stop them pecking each other when they are at close quarters. So in terms of animal welfare, they are the very best buy. While boxes of eggs must state their origin, products containing eggs such as sandwiches or cakes are not legally obliged to do so, but it is worth checking just in case they give any information.
Make sense of stamps
The Lion Mark appears on 90 per cent of eggs and ensures the eggs meet food safety standards. However, it only guarantees the minimum legislative requirements of animal welfare, meaning it permits the use of ‘enriched cages’ as well as barn and freerange systems. But it does guarantee eggs were laid in Britain.
The RSPCA Assured
stamp indicates RSPCA assessors have inspected the farm and approved its welfare standards on things such as space, light, bedding, transport and humane slaughter. They don’t allow cages and set a minimum flock size of 16,000 hens. RSPCA Assured products can be found in Aldi, Co-op, Lidl and Sainsbury’s, and it should be stamped on the egg box too.
The Soil Association
stamp is the highest organic standard which offers many welfare benefits exceeding standard industry practice, including prohibiting the clipping of hen’s beaks. Eggs with this stamp are mainly found in branches of Waitrose.