Morrisons and Waitrose have broken their silence after Sainsbury’s announced they will stop selling brown eggs. The supermarket said it will exclusively stock white-shell eggs under its own-brand label in a bid to become more sustainable.
However, Morrisons and Waitrose have pledged to keep selling brown eggs. Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain, confirmed it will only sell white eggs going forward, as they have a lower carbon footprint than brown eggs. They hope it will allow them to meet their net-zero targets by 2035.
A Waitrose spokesman said the retailer could “achieve high welfare and reduce our environmental impact at the same time”. Meanwhile, Morrisons made the same promise, adding that “customers are continuously looking for ways to shop more sustainably”.
The supermarket has pledged to keep brown eggs in its own-brand selection. They promised customers the freedom to choose between both colours.
It comes as Sainsbury’s confirmed it will stop selling brown eggs due to their carbon footprint. White eggs are laid by white-feathered hens, which have a longer laying life and lower feed requirements, meaning they produce the same egg output with less carbon demand.
Research from SAC Consulting found white eggs have a 12.7% lower carbon footprint. The supermarket is hoping to achieve net-zero for its own operations by 2035 and across all of its suppliers by 2050.
A Sainbury’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.”