March 7, 2007

Caged egg consumption in Germany higher than expected

Approximately 70 percent of the 17 billion eggs consumed yearly in Germany comes from caged hens.

The figure was previously thought to be lower as it was estimated that only 43 percent of caged eggs bought by consumers carry labels. However, most of the unlabelled eggs came from caged hens.

Four in five eggs in Germany carry labels.

The share of cage eggs in the non-labelled segments of the market is higher than in the supermarkets. Additionally, boiled and coloured (Easter) eggs would mainly consist of caged eggs.

Domestic consumption constitutes takes up half of production while 16 percent of total consumption comes from hotels and restaurants as whole eggs or egg products while the rest is mainly used as egg products in the food industry.

The food industry uses mainly cage eggs due to pricing and product safety reasons.

Europe is moving towards egg production from uncaged hens. Last week, a major Belgium supermarket chain announced it is no longer selling caged eggs, following the example set by the Netherlands, whose supermarkets do not sell caged eggs.

The EU is banning conventional cages by 2012, but enriched cages, which gives hens a-third more room, would be allowed.

In the US, cage free eggs is catching on in the north-eastern part of the country, where consumers increasingly want animal products raised in humane ways.