Pressure mounting for trade ban
Pressure for a trade ban is mounting after research has revealed eight out of 10 people in England and Wales want action to prevent illegal eggs entering the UK.
A YouGov survey, conducted for the RSPCA, found 78% of the public would support a trade ban to stop eggs laid by hens kept in illegal battery cages being sold outside the country where they are produced.
From 1 January it will be illegal to keep hens in conventional cages across Europe; however the industry has estimated 84 million hens will still be reared in such systems after this date.
With less than a month to go until the ban comes into force, the RSPCA is now calling on the EU Commission to take action.
David Bowles, director of communications at the RSPCA, wants quick and decisive action to stop the trade of illegal eggs, as well as tough penalties for those flouting the law.
“Shoppers are increasingly buying higher welfare eggs in the supermarket. Allowing illegal eggs into the UK would be a slap in the face for the public and a backward step for millions of hens,” he added.
The result of the online survey, to which 1889 people responded, showed only 8% opposed the ban, with 14% of people being unsure.
British egg producers have already invested over £400m in preparation for the ban, but many EU countries have ignored the issue.
Mr Bowles said the biggest challenge facing the UK was liquid and powdered egg products as it will be difficult to trace its origin. “We need a robust audit trial in place or else we risk inadvertently bringing in illegal eggs.”
Alice Clark, senior scientific officer at the RSPCA, said: “It adds insult to injury that, with just a month to go, there is no measure in place at a European or member state level to stop these illegal eggs coming into the UK as whole, or as ingredients such as in quiches, ready meals and cakes.”
UKIP MEP and agricultural spokesman Stuart Agnew has also been increasing the pressure on supermarkets, cake makers, egg processors, bakers and caterers with his “Good Eggs UK” campaign.
Mr Agnew has written to 183 companies and asked them to check their supplier as part of his “three C’s test”: No cages, no cruelty, no crime.
“I am calling on the British supermarkets and food producers to only use eggs from sources that ensure good hen welfare because trading in battery cage eggs is akin to trading in stolen goods,” he said.
Meanwhile, a DEFRA spokesperson said farm minister Jim Paice is expected to make a public statement shortly regarding the idea of a unilateral ban. “We have made changes and British farmers have invested millions. Others haven’t. We are quite robust on this,” he said.
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