Document type: Answer to Question E-001190/2024 from the European Commission
Authors: question: Tom Vandenkendelaere (PPE). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
Question: Use of eggs in processed foods - a level playing field
Eggboxes clearly state whether eggs are caged, barn-laid, free-range or organic. More than half the eggs a person eats are contained in a host of processed products without it being known where the eggs come from, however, since the origin of eggs in processed foods does not have to be clearly stated. A considerable proportion of eggs used in processed foods is likely to come from outside the EU, including eggs from hens kept in conventional cages. That would be detrimental to level-playing-field arrangements for European poultry farming.
1- Is the Commission aware of the use of caged eggs in processed foods, and can it cite figures to illustrate this?
2- Is the Commission planning to tighten up the regulatory framework, at least as regards labelling, in order to inform consumers about which eggs are used in processed foods?
Preview: The Commission is not aware of an established data collection on caged eggs used in processed products. The system put in place by the Commission to collect data on the farming method of laying hens covers the Union (not third countries) and allows to trace egg production (not egg processing). Current rules allow EU consumers to be informed of the farming method when buying shell eggs. This is ensured by the design of a producer code for Union production. For third country eggs, the origin must appear on the label and, when third country marketing standards are different, the label must bear the words 'non-EU standard'. Those rules do not extend to eggs used in processed products. The Farm to Fork Strategy [1] foresees a revision of the European Union's animal welfare legislation and the introduction of new rules on animal welfare labelling. Preparatory work is ongoing, and the Commission is considering options for animal welfare labelling, which may include processed food containing products of animal origin and imported products.
[1] https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en#:~:text=The%20Farm%20to%20Fork%20Strategy%20is%20at%20the%20heart%20of,if%20they%20are%20not%20sustainable
