Confidence grows in Lion egg
New research has revealed that 80% of consumers are concerned about the quality of eggs used in products such as quiche, mayonnaise or egg sandwiches, while 75% said it is important that the eggs used are British.
The research, conducted prior to the horsemeat scandal, also showed that more than one third would be willing to pay a premium for eggs produced to high standards of food safety. And more than 80% of consumers say that they would like to see the British Lion mark on products containing egg.
Separate research showed that more than 80% of shoppers recognised the British Lion mark, more than double the awareness for the Red Tractor and four times that of Freedom Food,
Yet around a third of eggs used in manufactured products are imported, and there are fears that many will have come from illegal production systems.
“The research confirms that it is about time that retailers, caterers and manufacturers woke up to the responsible sourcing of eggs and egg products,” said British Lion Egg Processors chairman Ian Jones.
He questioned whether food manufacturers were making sufficient checks to make sure their imported egg products were coming from a compliant source.
“They should be specifying Lion standard, to take away any doubt,” he said.
For more on the egg market and imports, see the March issue of Poultry World