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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Sarah Marsh and Helena Horton

Low-welfare eggs from caged hens imported to UK in ‘staggering’ numbers

United Kingdom David Bowles Brexit RSPCA the National Farmers Union
Close-up of chicken eggs in cardboard egg box
UK egg production declined 8% in 2022 and 10% this year, leading to shortages of stock. Photograph: incamerastock/Alamy

Low-welfare eggs are flooding into the UK from abroad, the Guardian can reveal, as experts warn the effects of Brexit could cause even more to be imported.

Official data reveals that between 2021 and August 2023 the number of eggs imported from Poland rose by more than 2,000%, from 46 consignments to 1,095. The number imported from Italy also increased by almost 300% between 2022 and 2023 from 72 consignments to 279, according to figures from the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

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