Sainsbury's

UK
619 million eggs per year (shell eggs)
2.3 million hens per year

Sainsbury’s is the UK's third biggest retailer and has received two Good Egg Awards:

• in 2007 for committing to go cage-free on all shell eggs sold in store
• in 2008 for committing to go cage-free on the egg used in its own-label products by 2012

From 5 February 2009 Sainsbury’s becomes the first of the ‘big-four’ UK retailers to sell only cage-free eggs. This comes a year sooner than the store’s original Good Egg Award commitment of 2010. The move on shell eggs alone will benefit 2.3 million hens every year, ensuring they live cage-free.

Sainsbury’s is also the only UK retailer to make a big deal out of giving hens tree cover. Tree cover encourages hens to range more freely, safe from the fear of aerial predators. All free-range and organic own-label eggs sold in store will be from Woodland Farms which are committed to giving hens a more natural environment.

Sainsbury’s also won Compassion in World Farming’s ‘Most Improved Retailer’ and ‘Best Volume Retailer Award’ as part of our 2007 UK Supermarket Awards.

You can find out more about Sainsbury’s and animal welfare by reading the ‘Sourcing with integrity’ section of their website www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/cr.

"We are delighted to receive our second Good Egg Award from Compassion in World Farming, in recognition of us bringing forward our date to stop selling any caged shell eggs and our commitment to convert the egg used as an ingredient in Sainsbury's brand food and drink to free-range by 2012. Animal Welfare is important to Sainsbury's and to our customers and our work on egg sourcing is just one of the ways in which we are improving the health and welfare of livestock used to produce Sainsbury's food and drink, in line with our value to source with integrity."

Judith Batchelar, Director of Brand

"We are delighted to receive this Good Egg Award which recognises the progress that we are making on this significant journey regarding the eggs we sell."

Mike Coupe, Trading Director

"We’ve worked hard with our producers to deliver a range that continues to offer our customers great value for money, is 100% British and is improving welfare standards of over half a million hens each week."

Finbar Cartlidge, Sainsbury’s egg buyer