UK egg consumption up slightly in 2014

The total number of eggs consumed in the U.K. in 2014 is estimated to have risen by 2 percent to stand at 11.76 billion, equivalent to per capita annual consumption of 184, reports the British Egg Industry Council.
Egg consumption in the U.K. declined from the 1960s through to the late 1990s, however since then it has been steadily rising. Among recent growth drivers has been the rising popularity of eggs among dieters, and with the end of confusion over the effect of eggs on cholesterol, eggs are now widely recommend in the U.K. as  part of a healthy diet and have been included in a number of established slimming plans.
The British Egg Industry Council says that industry estimates reveal that the country produced 9.76 billion eggs in 2014, exported 134 million, and imported 1.86 billion.
Fifty-three percent of eggs were sold to retail outlets, with 24 percent going to foodservice and 23 percent to food manufacturers.
By production type, 52 percent of came from hens kept in enriched cages, 45 percent came from free-range hens, while 3 percent of eggs came from hens kept in barns.
A figure for size of the country’s laying flock in 2014 is yet to be made available, however, in 2013, the U.K. laying flock stood at 33.5 million birds. 

The best things come in small packages for UK egg producer

The Mac’s Farm, which produces 70,000 organic eggs each day, has launched Mac’s Mini Eggs, and interest from a celebrity chef has resulted in what the company describes as “mini egg madness”.
The third generation egg business switched to organic production in 1985. Earlier this year it started selling branded pullet eggs both directly from the farm but also to local businesses.
The farm owners say: “These beautiful little pullet eggs are the very first eggs that chickens start laying at about 18 weeks old. We believe they are eggs at their very best. They are only available for a few weeks, so get them while you can.”
Demand for the eggs has been expressed from across the length and breadth of the U.K. In addition to branding the eggs, the company’s owners decided to deliver some of the new range to the offices of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who had featured their farm in a television program in 2013.
“Mini egg madness has hit, it’s quite amazing what an effect Jamie Oliver has on people, but it is great.”

Isotope database of UK egg production complete

Isotope fingerprinting of the U.K.’s egg production has been completed by Longhand Isotopes. The company has been working with the British Free Range Egg Producers’ Association (BFREPA), among others, to establish a database that will allow Longhand to carry out routine testing to identify whether eggs being sold as British were actually produced in the U.K.
Samples were taken from 2,500 farms, including 350 organic farms, and there is now a working reference library for the U.K., Republic of Ireland and continental Europe.
The accreditation scheme Laid in Britain started working with Longhand Isotopes more than a year ago, and in November last year BFREPA gave the go ahead for its members to provide egg samples to enable Longhand to build a comprehensive picture of the United Kingdom.
Not only will isotope testing show whether an egg was produced in the U.K., Germany, France or another country, but it will also identify the region of a country in which an egg was produced.
Robert Gooch, BFREPA's director of policy, said that what Longhand was doing was important work that could only benefit free-range egg producers in this country.
"By providing the samples, we will make the database more accurate and that will give British producers some reassurance that if a retailer claims the eggs are from Yorkshire or another part of this country, they were not produced in Italy or Germany," he said, explaining why BFREPA had decided to throw its weight behind the creation of a nationwide database.
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has said that samples of eggs will be taken from all new laying farms joining the quality mark scheme British Lion Eggs and tested to improve the traceability of Lion eggs still further. Samples from all existing laying farms in the scheme will be taken when they are audited, and a random selection will be tested each month. BEIC has said this would allow the database to be regularly renewed. 

Revisions to British Lion Code of Practice for UK egg producers

A new version of the British Lion Code of Practice was launched in the UK at the beginning of November.
Version 7 of the code, the most comprehensive to date, runs to more than 200 pages in length, and has in excess of 700 auditable criteria. It consolidates the latest scientific, veterinary and food safety advice on producing and handling eggs.
Nearly 90 percent of UK eggs are produced within the Lion scheme and the British Lion is now the UK's leading food safety mark, with consumer recognition of more than 80 percent. The Lion scheme is the only UK egg-specific assurance scheme that meets the requirements of the EN 45011 international accreditation standard.
"The British Lion scheme is one of the world's greatest food industry success stories," said Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, commenting on the new version. "The introduction of the Lion Code of Practice 15 years ago has effectively eliminated Salmonella and restored consumer confidence in British eggs, with consumption now at the highest level for more than two decades.
"The launch of the latest version of the Code is the culmination of years of work and the improvements to the standards maintain the Lion scheme's pre-eminence among food assurance schemes."

UK hatchery expands with Petersime S-line incubators

One of Europe’s largest independent hatcheries, P.D. Hook Ltd., has recently expanded its hatchery unit in Great Yarmouth, UK, with an extra setting capacity of 24 million eggs per year.
The company, headquartered in Cote, Oxfordshire, UK, ordered 12 BioStreamer 24S setters and 6 BioStreamer 8H hatchers, which were installed and commissioned in January 2013. The expansion will bring the total hatching capacity of P.D. Hook at over 6.5 million chicks per week.
The Great Yarmouth hatchery was already successfully running on Petersime Conventional and AirStreamer incubators, and therefore the choice for Petersime’s most recent and advanced model, the BioStreamer, was obvious.
David Dunn, Hatchery Manager of the Great Yarmouth hatchery, explains: “Our mission is to supply our customers with chicks of the highest quality. Using advanced incubation equipment, together with strict bio-security standards, control procedures, and modern production lines, is key to ensuring this.”

Egg producers need to consider much more than profit and loss

Vision and values, the “soft side” of business, matter more than the hard business, this is how you inspire. Good service and good manners are how you build trust and confidence, and confidence is among the most important determiners in modern business.
Getting the soft side of business right was among the recommendations made by Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, a UK-based supermarket chain and the world’s third-largest retailer, at the International Egg Commission’s Annual Marketing and Production Conference. Leahy was the first of the speakers at the four-day event. He said that although consumer demand can change rapidly, by staying close to the consumer, businesses can continue to flourish. He went on to explain the importance of people, pricing and systems and of timing decisions and implementation, saying that to achieve change each individual must work to bring it about, and there must be a clear path for all to follow.
Leahy also said that competitors can be our best teachers — and that we need to learn more quickly from them than they learn from us. Identify and incorporate their strengths, he said. Never want to be involved in adversarial relationships, particularly with customers. Relationships and how you get along with people are key.
The UK’s supermarkets have often been criticized for the dominant position in relationship to UK farmers; however, Leahy said that, in a relationship with a retailer, never do anything that is wrong for your business, and you will earn their respect.

UK egg producer donates percentage of sales to support ambulances

UK egg producer James Potter Eggs is helping to support local ambulance services by donating GBP0.01 to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance from every pack of dozen free range eggs sold.
“We are proud to support the work that the Yorkshire Air Ambulance does and hope that the money raised through the partnership helps make a real difference across the region,” said James Potter, director of James Potter Eggs. The air ambulance service needs GBP7,200 (US$11,283) per day to keep its two helicopters in service. The partnership to support the ambulance service was launched with the attendance of a local Member of Parliament, Potter and one of his 200,000 layers.

British Egg Industry Council revises educational website

The British Egg Industry Council has updated its educational website, www.crackingeggs.co.uk, to offer increased resources for students and teachers.
The council says that the change has been made in response to the approach of Easter and offers Easter exercises, such as egg decorating, along with activities covering nutrition, food safety and recipes, focusing on curriculum areas including science and food technology. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to keep a diary, learn about the structure of hens’ eggs and find out about egg customs throughout the world.  

UK free-range egg producers call for higher prices

The UK’s free-range egg producers need to see a significant and immediate increase in the price they receive to maintain supplies in the long term, according to the country’s National Farmers' Union. Free-range producers have struggled for 18 months with rising costs, low egg prices and an oversupply in the free-range market, said the National Farmers' Union. However, since January 1 and the introduction of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive, egg supplies have tightened across the UK and Europe, leading to increases in the price of cage and barn eggs, but no corresponding move in the free-range market. National Farmers' Union poultry board chairman Charles Bourns has called on the supply chain to recognize the significant shift that is taking place in the egg market and to ensure that the British free-range industry retains its ability to invest in the future. “Egg producers have responded to both legal requirements and market demand over the years by converting to new enriched cages and free-range production, making significant investments in the process,” said Bourns. “Many have borrowed serious amounts of money to invest in new buildings in the run up to the conventional cage ban. Producers have been struggling to meet capital repayments and run profitable businesses. We know the market has been affected by oversupply until recently, but there are very clear signs it is now on the turn. Free-range producers need to see a significant increase in the price they receive that reflects the cost of production and allows future investment and innovation in business in the future. As it stands, the majority are making a loss and this is now unsustainable. “Retailers in particular need to think about the long-term security and future supply of British free-range eggs and avoid the risk of irreparable damage being done to the free-range egg supply base by not getting the market signals right now.”

Europe facing egg shortages after welfare rules implementation

The Union for the Belgian Egg Products Industry has said that egg processors are finding it difficult to survive since the implementation of the EU's new welfare regulations for laying hens at the beginning of the year. The union says that the regulations have meant that many producers have ceased production or are trying to adapt to the new rules. Cold weather has resulted in increased demand for eggs, further compounding the problem. The combination of these factors has resulted in a situation where egg producers cannot satisfy demand and processors are having difficulties in supplying the contracted quantities as they cannot source enough eggs, according to the union. The scarcity of eggs has resulted in a rapid increase in prices, making the situation financially unbearable for processors. Additionally, there are reports that cake producers in France are warning that they may go out of business due an inability to source sufficient supplies, while in the UK consumers are being warned that the price of eggs is due to rise sharply.

UK egg industry launches site to support local producers

The organizers of the UK’s Lion Quality mark, which is applied to eggs produced in compliance with the Lion Quality Code of Practice, have launched a new website to support the fight to keep eggs and egg products produced from illegal cages out of the UK. Visitors to the website www.legaleggs.com are encouraged to sign a pledge supporting British egg producers. Since the site was launched, more than 5,000 visitors have signed the pledge. “There is now a huge amount of awareness and support for British egg producers and I expect the number of pledges to rise,” said Andrew Parker, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council.

UK egg producer loses over 100,000 birds in fire

One of the UK’s largest independent egg producers, Fridays, is thought to have lost 140,000 birds following a fire at its Knowbridge Farm in Cranbrook, Kent.
At the height of the blaze, 50 firefighters were called to the family-owned farm, which was undergoing an upgrade of its barns. Along with the birds, two barns were destroyed earlier in January; however, nobody was hurt in the blaze. The cause of the fire is unclear.

UK egg producers disappointed by government cage stance

The UK’s National Farmers Union has expressed its disappointment that the government has not been able to adopt stronger measures to protect egg producers from illegal eggs (laid by caged hens) potentially entering the UK beginning in 2012.
Farming minister Jim Paice has announced that the UK food industry will have to reach a voluntary consensus that it will not use eggs produced by hens in conventional cages, although manufacturers will still be allowed to use the same eggs for their products.
NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns said: “We welcome the enforcement measures being taken by the government, but our members will certainly be bitterly disappointed that it has not been possible to take tougher action.
“We are concerned that, although the government has repeatedly pledged its support for the industry, it cannot prohibit the use of illegal egg products and food manufactured from such products. Although we are pleased to see the support of some UK retailers and food manufacturers on this, there are still a number of companies who have yet to make this commitment.
"Further to this, we would like to see retailers and food manufacturers showing their support for the whole of the British egg industry by offering a fair price for all legal eggs and egg products to recognise the investment that has been made in all production systems in readiness for January 1.
“The UK egg industry should not be disadvantaged for embracing new higher welfare systems, and the government’s announcement is not what UK egg producers needed after they have invested so heavily and met the requirements of the law.”
Some 13 European member states are not expected to be compliant with the cage ban come January 1, 2012.

UK warns against selling conventional cage eggs once banned

Food manufacturers and retailers in the UK selling eggs or egg products produced from hens in conventional battery cages after the EU ban on such cages takes effect on January 1, 2012, will be breaking the law, confirmed the country’s Agriculture Minister James Paice.
The minister has pledged his strong support for the UK egg industry to ensure that manufacturers and retailers do not use illegal eggs. He has also welcomed the commitment from the British Retail Consortium that the UK’s major retailers will ensure that their cage-produced shell eggs, and their own-label products containing cage-produced eggs, will come from enriched cages. However, he said, it needs to be made clear to owners of branded food products that the law also applies to their ingredients and that any company using eggs produced in conventional battery cages after January 1 will be breaking both the letter and the spirit of the law.
“Food manufacturers and retailers need to know that they will be exposed if they do not ensure that all the eggs they use are fully compliant with the new legislation," said Andrew Parker, British Egg Industry Council chairman. "We welcome the minister’s commitment to take action to ensure that illegally-produced eggs do not undermine British egg producers.”

UK egg producers face challenge in conventional cage ban

As the deadline of January 1, 2012 approaches for UK egg producers to reinvest in new systems, Klaus Torborg, of Lohmann Animal Health, does not expect producers to be penalized in the first half of 2012.
Torborg, who addressed UK egg producers at a recent Lohmann dinner, believes the government will be concentrating on dealing with the financial crisis, giving producers additional time to become compliant with the ban on conventional cages.

Klaus Torborg talks about the effect of the conventional cage ban on UK egg producers at the Lohmann dinner.

The British Egg Industry Council suggests that 8.349 million of the EU’s 363 million commercial layers are likely to be non-compliant with the cage ban when it goes into effect next year.

EU ministers vote against 2012 cage ban delay

The EU’s proposed ban on conventional cages is set to take effect in 2012.

Attempts to delay the EU’s proposed ban on conventional cages, due to come into force on Jan. 1, 2012, have been blocked. At a meeting of agriculture and fisheries ministers, various countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, all backed calls to ensure that the change was implemented on time.
“Egg producers in the UK, and indeed in many other European countries, have worked hard to convert out of battery cages ahead of the European deadline and have invested considerable sums converting their systems to ensure they meet the strictest possible standards," said British Veterinary Association President Harvey Locke. “The egg industry throughout Europe has had 12 years to prepare for this change in law.”

Corrie Mains Farm wins Scottish Egg Quality Award



Jim and Anne Smallie pose with their son Ross after receiving the Championship shield and certificate.

 Egg producer retailers Jim and Anne Smillie of Corrie Mains Farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, have won top honors in the 2010 Scottish Egg Quality Awards.
The farm beat 21 other entrants with a score of 520 points to take the award for the second year in a row. "The standard of management at Corrie Mains is exceptional and this is reflected in their continuing success in this competition, which they first entered in 1997," said David Beckley of BOCM PAULS. "They are at the top in the UK for production and egg quality and are very bio-secure. They have built up their markets by offering top-quality eggs with a first-class delivery service."
The Scottish Agricultural College, which sponsors the awards, judges entrants on shell color, egg weight, yolk color, albumen quality, shell thickness, freedom from meat and blood spots, external appearance and packaging.

UK students gain hands-on egg industry experience

Harper Adams University College is teaming up with Oaklands Farm Eggs Ltd. to give its students hands-on knowledge of the egg industry.
The company turns over nearly 500 million eggs per year; working with them will provide students with access to the latest facilities for both teaching and research, as well as a first-hand look at a commercial operation. “Students will be able to see modern standards in colony egg production that meet the new [European Union] regulations to be introduced in 2012," said Harper Adams Principal Dr. David Llewellyn. "This is a significant development for us and one that will be of benefit to students and the poultry sector in the longer-term."
Oaklands and Harper Adams also hope to use the partnership to expand interest in the industry. “Attracting young people into the industry is a problem," said Oaklands Director Elwyn Griffiths. "We hope to open their eyes to what is involved in running a poultry farm – so understanding efficiencies, economies, welfare and feed conversions – in the hope of getting students interested."

Welsh egg producers get set for 2012 cage ban

The number of free-range egg producers in Wales has shot up to more than 300 from about 100 in 2006, as egg producers prepare for a ban on cage systems that takes effect in 2012, according to The North Wales Daily Post.
Each new commercial free-range egg operation houses about 12,000-16,000 hens, bringing the total number of hens in such housing systems to 2 million, the newspaper reported.
The Welsh Assembly Government has provided more than £1M in grants to free-range projects and is considering another £400,000 in funding.

UK executive imprisoned, ordered to pay £3.25m in egg labeling scandal

Keith Owen, leader of Heart of England Eggs in Worcestershire, United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay a total of £3.25M — a £3M confiscation order and £250,000 in prosecution costs — on three counts of false accounting. Defra — the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — alleged that the company sold millions of eggs laid by caged birds as free-range or organic.
The UK National Farmers’ Union supported the sentence.
Charles Bourns, NFU poultry board chairman, said in a press release, “I welcome the outcome of this trial. The confiscation order and custodial sentence handed down by the courts sends out a strong message that this kind of activity will not be tolerated. The vast majority of people working within the egg industry are hardworking and honest. Thankfully cases like this are few and far between.”
Bourns said the British Lion quality assurance program, which establishes best practices for egg production, “has strengthened its code of practice to ensure its traceability is robust, with on-farm stamping, a new database to track eggs throughout the system and unannounced audits.” Egg producers using cages, cage-free aviaries or free-range housing are all eligible for the British Lion program, but must agree not to misrepresent their housing systems to consumers.
“Consumers can be reassured that with new procedures in place, the eggs they are buying are genuine,” Bourne said.