Supermarket chain Morrisons has urged its shoppers to check the colour of the stamps on their eggs before they buy them next time they are in store.
The grocery chain has asked shoppers to check for a green stamp, instead of the usual red ink stamp, as the purchase could make a difference to the planet following the supermarket's new line of "planet-friendly" eggs.
In an industry first, the British supermarket giant has launched a range of carbon neutral eggs which are said to be the first product as part of their drive to be directly supplied by zero emissions farms by 2030.
Morrisons is said to be the first supermarket chain to feature the British Lion Egg green stamp on its eggs to indicate the lower environmental impact to customers.
The hens laying the eggs are fed a soya-free diet, including insects fed on food waste from Morrisons’ bakery, fruit and vegetable sites. The supermarket said insects are a natural part of chickens’ ancestral diet and have no negative impact on the quality, shelf life or taste of the eggs.
Morrisons hens are fed on a 'mini farm' that has been powered by Better Origin technology, which is said to reduce deforestation that is caused by soya production, as well as reducing the carbon emissions emitted from producing soya.
The farm that will supply the planet friendly eggs has a wind turbine and solar panels to offset any remaining emissions on the farm, reports The Manchester Evening News.
A recent report from the University of Cambridge has confirmed that the eggs are carbon neutral after looking at the production of the eggs, which included insect growing unit, food waste transport, sourcing of locally grown grain and hen housing and care.
Sophie Throup, head of agriculture at Morrisons, said: “This is our first carbon-neutral product and there will be many more to come. It’s all part of our drive to be directly supplied only by ‘zero emission’ British farms by 2030.
“We know our customers consider the environmental impact of the food they eat and want affordable zero emission produce. Eggs are a regular weekly purchase for most households and so we’re thrilled that, after 18 months of hard work with our farmers, these eggs are finally hitting our shelves.”
Ian Bamford, commercial director of the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, said: “We were very pleased to have the opportunity to review and analyse the approach that Morrisons have taken to calculating the carbon impact of several of their egg producers. It was clear that the mitigation actions that had been put in place by the first farm to produce carbon-neutral eggs enabled them to meet that goal.”
The free range eggs will initially be available in 50 branches across Yorkshire and a lower environmental impact store in Essex, before a national rollout that is planned for 2023 at a cost of 30p each or £1.50 for a packet of six.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
READ NEXT:
