Sainsbury’s is to transform its egg category, with the retailer confirming it is “aiming towards 100%” white eggs across its own-brand core ranges as part of its net-zero strategy.
The move marks a significant departure from a UK market that has been dominated by brown eggs for generations and reflects growing retailer interest in the efficiency and carbon credentials of white-egg-laying breeds.
According to Sainsbury’s, a life-cycle assessment of its own supply chain found that white eggs carried a 12.7% lower carbon footprint per kilogram than brown eggs. The retailer said the difference was driven primarily by “improved feed efficiency” and “a longer productive lifespan of white hens”.
The findings have become a key part of Sainsbury’s wider efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions, which account for the vast majority of the company’s carbon footprint.
In published sustainability materials, Sainsbury’s said it is already transitioning its supply base and recently launched white-shelled eggs within its premium Taste the Difference range. The retailer describes white eggs as a “lower-carbon alternative to brown eggs” while maintaining the same eating quality and welfare standards.
The company is keen to reassure shoppers that the change is not linked to production system changes. “100% of our shell eggs will remain free range,” Sainsbury’s said.