Aldi has hit its commitment to sell 100% cage-free eggs more than a year ahead of schedule.
The retailer said it had been working with its suppliers to make the switch in recent years, with all its UK stores now only selling cage-free eggs. All major UK supermarkets have committed to making the cage-free switch by 2025.
“Improving animal welfare is incredibly important to us,” said Aldi MD of buying Julie Ashfield. “Our British suppliers are at the heart of our business and without them Aldi wouldn’t be where it is today and we are proud to work with so many UK egg farmers.”
Aldi recently became the market-leading British supermarket for free-range eggs, surpassing Tesco in the 12 weeks to 9 June [Kantar].
The move had followed a £50m investment in its egg supply chain over the past two years, Aldi said – with its suppliers now on long-term contracts, allowing them “the certainty and security for them to continue to invest and grow their businesses”.
It comes as the discounter became the latest in a growing list of major supermarkets to commit to improvements in animal welfare standards within its fresh chicken supply chain in June.
Aldi has announced a reduction in stocking densities for its fresh chicken suppliers, from 38kg/sq m to 30kg/sq m – giving chickens 20% more space than the industry standard.
The switch, due to come into force this October, was ahead of “several” other major supermarkets to have made similar commitments, Aldi claimed. However, it still falls short of a full signing up of the industry-wide Better Chicken Commitment, which mandates a full switch to slower-growing chicken breeds.
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