05/06/2026
Where do you even begin to start with nonsense like this?
Seriously Sainsbury's, who are you trying to convince that this is an actual thing?
The idea that white eggs automatically have a lower carbon footprint is ...well..I'll try to explain why it's a daft theory.
White egg laying birds such as White Stars and Amberlines may eat slightly less and they do lay well. That part is true.
However, they are not exactly the calmest creatures in the poultry world. They are flighty, nervous and very easily stressed. In fact, White Stars in particular have a bit of a reputation for suddenly dying when they get overexcited or startled!!
Which is not ideal when your grand environmental strategy appears to be resting on a hen that can be taken out by a strong sneeze.
There is also the issue of productive life.
In commercial systems, white egg layers often have a shorter laying life than brown egg layers such as ISA Browns, Bovans and Lohmann Browns.
So yes, they may eat a bit less feed.
However, if birds need replacing sooner, that means more chicks being incubated, more pullets being reared, more heat, more electricity, more gas, more transport and more cost.
That all has a footprint too.
People who actually know poultry will tell you that these birds are bred to lay hard.
Very hard.
White Stars are slender birds, they do not eat a lot and the pressure of laying at that rate can take a real toll on them.
So forgive me if I do not immediately accept the idea that this is all being done for the planet.
It looks far more like a supermarket buying decision dressed up as an environmental one.
If Sainsbury’s wants to sell white eggs because they suit the supply chain, improve margins or fit the system better, then just say that.
Just do not dress it up as some grand net zero breakthrough while ignoring the reality of the birds themselves.
If supermarkets want to talk seriously about farming, food and welfare, they could start by listening to the people who actually understand hens.
Just a thought!!
