RESPONDING to reports that Sainsbury’s plans to phase out brown eggs in favour of white eggs as part of its net zero strategy, Reform UK Senedd member Laura Anne Jones said: “Only in modern Britain could a supermarket decide that the colour of your eggs has become a climate emergency.

“People want affordable food, decent quality and the freedom to choose. They do not want to be lectured by supermarket executives obsessed with ticking net zero boxes.

“This is exactly the sort of madness that people are fed up with. Every aspect of daily life now seems to be viewed through the lens of carbon emissions, from how we travel to what we eat and now even the colour of the eggs in our fridge.

“Farmers are already warning that white egg laying hens may eat slightly less, but they have shorter productive lives, meaning more birds need to be bred, reared and incubated, using more gas and electricity. That brings its own costs, pressures and environmental impact.

“Sainsbury’s needs to realise the colour of the egg is down to the breed and genetics of the hen and not net zero wizardry.”

Ms Jones went on to ask:

“And what’s going to happen to the non white egg laying hens?”

“Farmers already face rising costs, endless regulations and mounting pressure from net zero policies. The last thing they need is more interference driven by fashionable environmental targets.

“Reform UK believes in common sense. We believe in supporting British farmers, backing food production and trusting consumers to make their own choices. It’s incredibly disappointing to see supermarkets bowing down to this net zero nonsense.

“Supermarkets should concentrate on helping food be more affordable and giving more money from such produce to farmers and producers. Help them save the environment that way.”