Currently Tesco sells 1.4bn eggs in the UK each year, with 43% of these coming from hens in enriched colony cages. The supermarket chain plans to transition to having 100% of eggs sold in stores sourced from barn, free range and organic systems by 2025.

Commercial director for fresh food at Tesco Matt Simister said that the decision follows “an extensive and collaborative review” on the sourcing of eggs with suppliers and industry stakeholders.

All eggs sold in Tesco stores in NI come from NI farms, with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) stating that the announcement will come as “a major blow to egg producers”.

The union says that it understands that the decision reflects changes in customer demand, but has warned of the impact on poultry farmers who have recently invested in enriched colonies for laying hens.

Enriched colony

In January 2012, the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive banned battery cages for laying hens and replaced them with enriched colony cages, which require hens to have at least 750cm2 of cage area at a minimum cage height of 45cm, a nesting area, litter for scratching and perches.

“We need to ensure this does not have a negative impact. It is essential it [Tesco] communicates effectively with suppliers through what are going to be big changes for the industry,” said UFU poultry chair Tom Forgrave.

He said that egg producers would need assurance from Tesco if the supermarket decides to source eggs from barn systems that this does not change a few years down the line after further significant investment from producers.

“We are determined that recent investment and farmers’ dedication to animal welfare are not overlooked,” Forgrave added.

Other supermarkets

Other UK supermarkets have either already stopped or are transitioning away from sourcing eggs from hens in enriched colony cages, such as Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and the Cooperative.

In April, US supermarket chain Walmart announced a similar transition in egg sourcing to 2015. Walmart’s subsidiary in the UK, Asda, has remained non-committal on the issue. However, there has been pressure for it to follow suit.

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