World Egg Day: Morrisons introduces low-carbon footprint eggs with benefits for farmers 

White eggs have the same nutritional properties as brown eggs and can be used in exactly the same way in cooking.  

The only difference between them is the colour of the shell, which is determined by the breed of the hen.

White eggs are laid by ‘white hens’, which require less feed to produce the same number of eggs than ‘brown hens’, resulting in them having a lower carbon footprint, the retailer explained. 

A spokesperson for Morrisons said: “Hens supplying eggs to Morrisons Chuckle Egg range have the freedom to roam outside whenever they want and also have woodland ranges and bee friendly flower strips.  

“Morrisons launched its ‘For Farmers’ range in 2015 so customers could show support for farmers by choosing a range, which commits extra money to go to farmers. The range has been extremely successful and has given over £25 million back to farmers since it was launched.” 

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Cooperation with farmers  

Morrisons said that in addition to the white egg farmers, the store chain works with over 65 egg farmers who supply into the own brand free range and organic eggs that it sells, all of which are approved to British Lion code and RSPCA or equivalent standards.   

The farmers benefit from long-term contracts and short payment terms, which gives them the financial reassurance they need to invest in their farm’s infrastructure and the future of their business, all of which positively impacts the long-term sustainability of the egg industry, the retailer said.   

Morrisons also offers carbon footprinting analysis for every flock and support is available for each farmer to develop a sustainable growth plan tailored to their farm.  

More environmentally friendly eggs 

Sophie Throup, technical and sustainability director at Myton Food Group for Morrisons, said: “Brown eggs have traditionally been sold in the UK, and white eggs currently account for only 10 percent of sales.  

“We know our customers are continuously looking for ways to shop more sustainably, and although in terms of taste and size, white and brown eggs are exactly the same, the lower carbon footprint benefits of using white hens means we are able to offer a more environmentally friendly egg.  

“We have worked closely with our existing egg farmers to launch this full white pack and are committed to offering our customers sustainable options across our stores.” 

Morrisons also offers ‘Better For Our Planet Eggs’, certified as carbon neutral, as well as ‘Morrisons Farmers Favorites’, which is a range of loose white or brown eggs that allows customers to pick their own eggs.   

World Egg Day takes place on 11th October to raise awareness about the benefits of eggs as an inexpensive and highly nutritious food source, with the potential to help feed the world.

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