Sainsbury’s is switching its own-brand egg range from brown to white shells as part of its drive to cut carbon emissions across its supply chain.
The supermarket said white eggs have a 12.7 per cent lower carbon footprint than brown alternatives, as the hens that lay them are typically smaller and eat less feed.
Sainsbury’s said this helps to “indirectly reduce demand on land and water used to grow feed crops, as well as the amount of manure produced”.
The retailer added that the move would also support animal welfare, with white-egg-laying hens said to be less prone to feather pecking.
Sainsbury’s, which has committed to reaching net zero across its own operations by 2035 and across its suppliers by 2050, said it was “making progress” on the switch in its latest annual report.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “White eggs have the same delicious taste and nutritional benefits as their brown counterparts, but result in lower emissions and better welfare outcomes for the hens that lay them.
“We know Brits love their eggs and, as we work with suppliers to transition all our own brand to white shells, they can now enjoy them knowing they are better for the environment and the hens.”
The move marks a return to a format more common on UK supermarket shelves in the 1970s, before brown eggs became dominant as shoppers increasingly associated them with being healthier or more natural.
White eggs are far more common in the US, where they account for around three quarters of eggs consumed, but have historically been used more widely by restaurants in the UK than sold directly to shoppers.
However, Sainsbury’s could face challenges in ramping up supply, with white-egg-laying hens currently making up just 15 per cent of the national flock, according to the British Egg Industry Council.
The egg switch is the latest packaging and product change introduced by the grocer as part of its sustainability push.
In 2023, Sainsbury’s began vacuum-packing its minced beef instead of using plastic trays, a move it said would reduce plastic use, despite some shoppers criticising the new packs.
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