Concern over battery egg labelling

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has expressed serious concern about what it described as the low level of compliance with new EU egg labelling legislation, which came into force on January 1.

Under this law, all boxes containing eggs laid by hens kept in battery cages must be clearly labelled on the outside with the words “eggs from caged hens.”

CIWF said initial findings from a survey conducted by the group indicate that many supermarkets are still stocking battery eggs that are not labelled in compliance with the new laws.

Sinéad O’Brien, Campaigns Officer for CIWF Ireland, said the inhumane battery cage system forces hens to live out their lives inside windowless sheds, confined in cramped barren wire cages.

“These provide too little floor space and insufficient height to allow the hens to perform many basic natural behaviours such as turning, wing-stretching and wing-flapping.

“Neither do they allow hens to satisfy their needs to dust-bathe, lay their eggs in a nest, perch, and peck at the ground.”

CIWF is calling on the Department of Agriculture and Food to ensure that the new labelling law is enforced swiftly.

Supermarkets should also make certain that all the battery eggs on their shelves are properly labelled.

“We’re asking shoppers to avoid battery eggs and to go for free range or organic eggs instead,” she said.

CIWF explained that organic eggs sold in Ireland are all free range and therefore only have to be labelled as organic.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture and Food said it is expected that within the next two months all packs of eggs will comply with the new requirements.