The British Egg Industry Council is to urge retailers and manufacturers to switch to British eggs for processing in a new marketing push, citing uncertainty over the safety of imported egg products after Brexit.
The campaign, which asks if businesses are ‘prepared for Breggsit’ will launch this month. A spokesman said the body was also due to meet retailers to “show how the Lion Code of Practice compares with other assurance schemes”.
As Brexit approached, supply issues seemed increasingly likely for those who relied on imports, he added.
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It comes as research for the industry body of 500 consumers found more than two thirds of shoppers were concerned eggs in prepared food products were produced to different standards than shell eggs.
An additional 57% of shoppers said they would like to know where eggs in prepared came from; three quarters said they felt it was a supermarket’s responsibility to be “completely transparent about where the ingredients in their food products come from”.
Meanwhile, some 44% of shoppers said they would change the products they bought or where they shopped if they found that the eggs used were not British Lion.
The research showed “strong consumer demand for the use of British eggs in prepared food”, said the BEIC’s spokesman. “There are serious question marks over the future of imported eggs and egg products,” he added.
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British Lion Egg Processors chairman Ian Jones said: “In these uncertain times, with the potential knock-on effects of Brexit on the supply of food imports still not clear (and recurring issues with the safety of eggs and egg products produced abroad) food businesses can put their trust in the Lion to guide them through safely.
“With research also clearly showing that consumers want British eggs to be used in prepared foods containing egg, now is the time for food businesses to give them what they want, relying on the Lion for surety of supply and the highest standards of food safety.”
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