- Sainsbury's will switch all own-brand eggs to white shells.
- Research found white eggs have a 12.7 per cent lower carbon footprint.
- Waitrose and Morrisons say they will continue selling brown eggs.
Sainsbury's is phasing out brown eggs from its own-brand range, arguing that white eggs are better for the environment and could help the retailer meet its net zero targets.
The move places sustainability at the centre of an everyday grocery item and has reignited debate around consumer choice, animal welfare and the environmental impact of food production. While Sainsbury's is betting on white eggs as a lower-carbon option, rivals Waitrose and Morrisons have signalled they are not planning to follow suit.
The UK's second-largest supermarket said it will gradually move its own-brand egg range to white-shell eggs after research suggested they have a smaller carbon footprint than brown eggs.
A carbon assessment carried out by SAC Consulting for Sainsbury's found that white eggs generate 12.7 per cent fewer emissions than brown eggs. The difference comes largely from the hens that lay them. White-feathered hens typically require less feed, live longer and continue laying eggs for a longer period, allowing the same level of production with lower resource use.
Sainsbury's said the change forms part of its wider plan to reach net zero across its own operations by 2035 and throughout its supply chain by 2050.
The decision also marks a return to a trend that was common in Britain several decades ago. White eggs were widely sold in supermarkets during the 1970s before brown eggs became dominant amid perceptions that they were more natural, healthier or more nutritious. Nutrition experts have long maintained that the shell colour has no impact on taste or nutritional value.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson reportedly said white eggs offer the same nutritional benefits as brown eggs while producing lower emissions and delivering improved welfare outcomes for the hens that lay them.
Not everyone is following
The announcement has prompted a different response from competitors.
Both Waitrose and Morrisons said they will continue offering brown eggs, arguing that sustainability goals can be balanced with consumer choice.
A Waitrose spokesperson reportedly said the retailer remains committed to reducing its environmental impact while maintaining high welfare standards across its egg supply chain. The company added that it remains on track to achieve net zero across its UK farms by 2035.
Morrisons also signalled it would keep brown eggs within its own-brand range, saying customers increasingly want sustainable options but still value having a choice when shopping.
A bigger debate over food and climate
The dispute over egg colour may seem unusual, but it reflects a broader challenge facing supermarkets as they attempt to cut emissions across complex food supply chains.
Retailers are under growing pressure to meet climate targets while avoiding changes that could alienate customers. For Sainsbury's, the switch to white eggs appears to be a relatively simple way of reducing emissions from a staple product sold in millions of homes each year.
Whether shoppers embrace the change as readily as the supermarket hopes remains to be seen. But for the first time in decades, white eggs may be about to become a much more familiar sight in British supermarkets.
