Marks & Spencer claims it is set to become the first food retailer to completely remove battery eggs from its food range. The chain, which has been bolstering flagging fortunes in its clothing sector with innovations in its grocery aisles, said the move should come into force within six to nine months. Instead, M&S said it is to switch to using only free range eggs to provide customers with "greater reassurance" about products and their traceability. It will affect hundreds' of recipes and products including quiches, cakes and even ice cream, while there are no plans for price changes other than its standard adjustments. M&S said the move was the culmination of four years of discussions with suppliers and was a direct response to customers' concerns about the use of battery eggs in products. The chain also claimed a first among major retailers in 1997 when it started selling only free range eggs. {{MARKETING - P&P }}