After the bird flu epidemic in Europe in the past months, chicken eggs will not be able to be bought in England as of this week.
Eggs of hens kept indoors for more than 16 weeks, which cannot roam freely because they cannot be taken outside, will be labeled “barn eggs”.
The UK is experiencing the biggest bird flu outbreak ever, and measures are being taken to prevent the virus from spreading.
About 55 percent of all eggs produced in the country came from “free range chickens” that roamed open-air pastures during the day.
The public will be alerted in supermarkets from today to inform shoppers about the change. The “running chicken” label will only be used when the chickens can be taken out again.
“All poultry owners are going through a very difficult time. Precautions are vital,” said Aimee Mahony, from the UK’s National Farmers’ Union (NFU).
Cases of H5N1 avian flu had started to rise in the UK in November 2021. The avian flu virus, which is highly contagious and can destroy poultry, was first seen in North Yorkshire.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), this type of flu, which poses an extremely low risk to humans, has infected several people in the world and caused deaths.
As a result of the epidemic, all bird keepers, including those who have pets or keep them in their garden, are obliged to keep their poultry indoors.
With the restrictions, egg breeders were given 16 weeks to maintain their wandering chicken status, but that expired today. Therefore, only farm eggs will be found in the markets from now on.
However, the British Retail Consortium has announced that shops and supermarkets will “continue to support British farmers”.