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23/01/2007
Retailers still stocking imported eggs
Two months after they first appeared on the shelves of British supermarkets, foreign free range eggs are still being sold by two of the top five retailers.
Somerfield is continuing to source around 40 per cent of its free range volumes from Northern France but says it is working with suppliers to ensure full availability of British eggs returns as soon as possible.
"We are displaying information in store to advise customers of this temporary situation. The country of origin is clearly marked on the packaging," a spokesperson for Somerfield told the Ranger.
The retailer claims the eggs have been vaccinated against Salmonella enteritidis.
Morrisons continues to stock Dutch free range and, as revealed in the Ranger last month, the eggs are being sold under the retailer's 'Bettabuy' label, signalling the introduction of discount-line free range to a leading British supermarket. When the Ranger enquired whether these eggs would be de-listed once British eggs were fully available, Morrisons declined to comment.
For Sainsbury's, imported eggs made only a fleeting appearance on the shelves. French free range eggs filled the hole left by a shortage of eggs from British farms but only for the three weeks of peak Christmas demand. Egg buyer Nick Durham told the Ranger that sales of imported eggs had accounted for seven per cent of Sainsbury's total free range sales and had been very much a 'last resort' purchase for customers.
"They sold only when there were no British free range eggs left," said Mr Durham. "We believe we were right to stock them as we do not believe our customers were prepared to downgrade to cage eggs."
Sainsbury's has since seen British supplies of eggs return to normal.
Asda refused to put foreign free range on its shelves and reports that it suffered no availability problems over the Christmas trading period while Tesco remained true to its word and only stocked British eggs, despite suffering from what it describes as significant supply problems.
The UK's biggest retailer has pledged it will not import eggs until it is satisfied that they are produced to the same standard it demands of British suppliers. Tesco is now reporting a return to full availability of home-produced eggs.
Packers report that they are now in a position to cope with normal demand for free range eggs but are not yet carrying sufficient volumes to cope with promotions or seasonal increases such as that likely to be created by Pancake Day or Easter.
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Somerfield is continuing to source around 40 per cent of its free range volumes from Northern France but says it is working with suppliers to ensure full availability of British eggs returns as soon as possible.
"We are displaying information in store to advise customers of this temporary situation. The country of origin is clearly marked on the packaging," a spokesperson for Somerfield told the Ranger.
The retailer claims the eggs have been vaccinated against Salmonella enteritidis.
Morrisons continues to stock Dutch free range and, as revealed in the Ranger last month, the eggs are being sold under the retailer's 'Bettabuy' label, signalling the introduction of discount-line free range to a leading British supermarket. When the Ranger enquired whether these eggs would be de-listed once British eggs were fully available, Morrisons declined to comment.
For Sainsbury's, imported eggs made only a fleeting appearance on the shelves. French free range eggs filled the hole left by a shortage of eggs from British farms but only for the three weeks of peak Christmas demand. Egg buyer Nick Durham told the Ranger that sales of imported eggs had accounted for seven per cent of Sainsbury's total free range sales and had been very much a 'last resort' purchase for customers.
"They sold only when there were no British free range eggs left," said Mr Durham. "We believe we were right to stock them as we do not believe our customers were prepared to downgrade to cage eggs."
Sainsbury's has since seen British supplies of eggs return to normal.
Asda refused to put foreign free range on its shelves and reports that it suffered no availability problems over the Christmas trading period while Tesco remained true to its word and only stocked British eggs, despite suffering from what it describes as significant supply problems.
The UK's biggest retailer has pledged it will not import eggs until it is satisfied that they are produced to the same standard it demands of British suppliers. Tesco is now reporting a return to full availability of home-produced eggs.
Packers report that they are now in a position to cope with normal demand for free range eggs but are not yet carrying sufficient volumes to cope with promotions or seasonal increases such as that likely to be created by Pancake Day or Easter.
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