Sainsbury's, the UK's second largest supermarket, will stop selling brown eggs under its own brand and switch entirely to white eggs. The move follows a carbon assessment that found white eggs have a 12.7% smaller carbon footprint than brown eggs. White feathered hens require less feed, live longer, and produce eggs for a longer period, reducing overall carbon demand per egg. The switch supports Sainsbury's goal to reach net zero in its own operations by 2035 and across its supply chain by 2050. The retailer says white eggs taste the same and have the same nutritional value as brown eggs. Brown eggs became popular decades ago due to myths about health and bleaching, but white eggs were common in UK supermarkets until the 1970s.
