What makes an egg ethical?
And how to make pancakes.
Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, a lot of eggs.
Where should we buy our eggs?
I recall a market stall once telling me, how old the ‘fresh eggs’ were in supermarkets. Days before they even reached the supermarket shelves. His eggs were fresh, what was not sold on his stall today, would be sold later in the week.
If you want fresh eggs, buy from a local supplier, buy from a farm shop, inquire of the conditions for the chickens, are they battery housed, free range (worse than greenwash), organic or Soil Association, or better still the standards Riverford demand?
- do not buy — battery or free range
- do buy — organic
Be wary of ultra-processed vegan fake eggs.
What Riverford have to say (e-mail comms) gleaned in turn from Ethical Consumer, I reproduce below. [see Eggs: Ethical and environmental rankings for 43 brands of eggs and vegan egg alternatives]
Note: I buy but do not eat, from Redhill Farm shop, from where I buy excellent ham, Lincolnshire sausages.
what makes an ethical egg?
Soil Association-certified organic guarantees a higher standard of animal welfare than any other farming system, including free range (more on that below).
Ethical Consumer’s analysis takes this into account, but also looks beyond the farming system. We score highly across all aspects of their analysis — environmental, animals, people, and politics — with the best scores in areas such as pollution and toxins, animal testing, workers’ rights, and more. We also gain full marks for our company ethos.
freedom to roam
Many ‘free-range’ birds actually spend little time outside. There’s no requirement about the number of exits from sheds, even when they contain many thousands of birds. When they do roam outside, the pasture is rested for just two months between flocks.
Organic hens, on the other hand, must have continuous and easy daytime access to an outdoor range, covered in suitable vegetation. Their pasture is rested for 9 months between flocks, allowing vegetation to grow and prevent disease building up in the soil.
a hen’s life
To stop stressed birds pecking each other, caged and free range systems permit the front third of hens’ beaks to be removed (called beak trimming). Organic never allows this. Instead, stress is avoided in the first place, by giving the birds as natural and enjoyable a life as possible.
40% of all UK antibiotics are given to farm animals, often used routinely to prevent illness in poor conditions. Organic only allows antibiotics to treat animals if they do get ill.
more inside space
Free range flocks can see a maximum of 16,000 hens. Organic flocks can be no larger than 3,000 hens.
When it comes to indoor space, free-range standards allow up to nine hens per m², whereas organic is restricted to six hens per m².
We go even further than the Soil Association’s rigorous welfare standards. Living in small flocks and ranging on clean, rich pasture, with tree cover, shelters, hay bales and sandpits providing a safe, interesting environment.
Riverford hens are cared for by the Janaway family
The hens at Upper Norton Farm have a better quality of life; they spend 365 days a year pottering freely on clean organic pasture, with grass and clover to forage in, trees, shelters, and sand pits for scratching.
The hens are encouraged to leave their spacious houses each morning and engage in natural behaviours. They get plenty of human interaction, being checked on and chatted to throughout the day.
Everything they’re fed is 100% organic. Because their feed doesn’t contain any additives or artificial colouring agents, the colour of the hens’ egg yolks is natural and can vary; whether golden or paler hued, the rich flavour is just the same.
Riverford egg boxes are mixed sizes and colours. By accepting mixed boxes that include smaller eggs laid by younger hens, and the larger, paler hens laid by older ones, not only prevents waste — also allows the hens to enjoy longer lives.
Jamie Oliver pancakes
