Sainsbury’s announced it will stop selling brown eggs altogether, switching exclusively to white-shells under its own-brand range in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint
A major supermarket switch by Sainsbury’s has prompted responses from Morrisons and Waitrose.
The UK’s largest supermarket chain announced it will stop selling brown eggs altogether, switching exclusively to white-shells under its own-brand range.
Sainsbury’s said the change supports its push toward sustainability and net zero targets by 2035, as white eggs have a lower carbon footprint than brown eggs.
But Morrisons and Waitrose have confirmed they’ll keep stocking brown eggs, insisting customers should have the option to choose. A Waitrose spokesman said the retailer could “achieve high welfare and reduce our environmental impact at the same time”.
Morrisons agreed, pledging to keep brown eggs in its own-brand selection to allow customers the freedom to choose their preferred colour. “Customers are continuously looking for ways to shop more sustainably,” the supermarket said.
The move by Sainsbury’s comes as the supermarket tries to reach net zero targets by 2035. It says white eggs come from white-feathered hens, which have longer laying lives and lower feed requirements, producing the same output with a smaller carbon footprint.
Research from SAC Consulting found white eggs have a 12.7 per cent lower carbon footprint.
The chain says it hopes to achieve net-zero across its own operations by 2035 and its full supply chain by 2050.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “White eggs have the same delicious taste and nutritional benefits as their brown counterparts but result in lower carbon emissions and better welfare outcomes for the hens that lay them.”
A Waitrose spokesman said: “We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare and quality, championing British eggs from trusted, high-welfare farms.
“We are also on track to achieve net zero across our UK farms by 2035, demonstrating that we can achieve high welfare and reduce our environmental impact at the same time.”
