TWO OUT OF FOUR OF UK’S RETAIL GIANTS STILL SAY NO TO GOING CAGE-FREE

With two out of the UK’s four top supermarkets reducing their sales of battery eggs, leading farm animal welfare charity, Compassion in World Farming, is calling on the top two UK supermarkets to also say no to cruelty and go cage-free.

Tesco and ASDA are falling behind their competitors by refusing to make a firm commitment to source their eggs more ethically - despite strong public opposition to keeping hens in cages and the recent announcement that Morrisons will sell only cage-free own-brand eggs by 2010.

News that the fourth biggest retailer will move to more ethical whole eggs under its own brand was applauded by Compassion in World Farming, who recently secured a commitment from Sainsbury’s, the UK’s third biggest retailer, to go cage-free on all of its shell eggs before 2012.

ASDA and Tesco, the top two retailers in the UK, have yet to follow suit.
Compassion in World Farming is appealing to the retail giants to re-think their current policy and in line with their competitors, make a pledge to go cage-free.

Rowen West-Henzell, Food Policy Officer for Compassion in World Farming said: ‘Tesco and ASDA are the top two UK retailers. They should be setting the example not dragging their heels on an issue that is clearly important to British consumers. We’re calling for them to do the right thing and take action on eggs before 2012.’

Morrisons’ Poultry Trading Manager, Jamie Winter, said: ‘We see animal welfare as an extremely important factor when sourcing our produce - that’s why we’ve taken action on eggs. It’s something we know our customers care about as many of them already prefer free-range and organic shell eggs. Committing to selling only own label cage-free shell eggs by 2010 was just the right thing to do.’