British egg producers are being urged to step up production of eggs for use as an ingredient in processed foods in an attempt to counter soaring imports.
Britain imported products containing the equivalent of more than 120 million eggs this May, up from 65 million in the same month a year ago, according to a report from British Lion Egg Products.
The sharp uplift came as Continental producers aggressively targeted the UK market, in many cases offering a lower price than home-produced equivalents, said Ian Jones, vice chairman of the British Egg Products Association.
“There’s a tremendous number of egg products imported that could be British,” said Jones. “There are issues over imported egg products. They don’t give the same level of assurance as Lion eggs.”
BLEP called on supermarkets to specify that products contain British Lion eggs, arguing that a commitment at retail level would encourage more British farmers to invest and increase production.
British consumers were often not aware that a high proportion of products perceived as British contained imported eggs, added BLEP in the report.
“More than 80% of consumers felt that using British eggs within manufactured products was important, yet almost a third of products on supermarket shelves contain imported eggs,” it said.
Some 3,000 tonnes of egg per week was used, of which about 1,000 tonnes were imported, according to BLEP. Egg products accounted for some 28% of all eggs consumed in the UK.
High-profile health scares have hit European eggs in recent years, including a salmonella outbreak in French pasteurised eggs and dioxins found in Belgian feed.
This made it more important that consumers had the assurance British Lion brought, said Jones. “Imported eggs do not have the same guarantee of quality as there is no equivalent level to Lion quality,” he added.
British Lion eggs make up about 90% of shell eggs produced in Britain.
Britain imported products containing the equivalent of more than 120 million eggs this May, up from 65 million in the same month a year ago, according to a report from British Lion Egg Products.
The sharp uplift came as Continental producers aggressively targeted the UK market, in many cases offering a lower price than home-produced equivalents, said Ian Jones, vice chairman of the British Egg Products Association.
“There’s a tremendous number of egg products imported that could be British,” said Jones. “There are issues over imported egg products. They don’t give the same level of assurance as Lion eggs.”
BLEP called on supermarkets to specify that products contain British Lion eggs, arguing that a commitment at retail level would encourage more British farmers to invest and increase production.
British consumers were often not aware that a high proportion of products perceived as British contained imported eggs, added BLEP in the report.
“More than 80% of consumers felt that using British eggs within manufactured products was important, yet almost a third of products on supermarket shelves contain imported eggs,” it said.
Some 3,000 tonnes of egg per week was used, of which about 1,000 tonnes were imported, according to BLEP. Egg products accounted for some 28% of all eggs consumed in the UK.
High-profile health scares have hit European eggs in recent years, including a salmonella outbreak in French pasteurised eggs and dioxins found in Belgian feed.
This made it more important that consumers had the assurance British Lion brought, said Jones. “Imported eggs do not have the same guarantee of quality as there is no equivalent level to Lion quality,” he added.
British Lion eggs make up about 90% of shell eggs produced in Britain.
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