Free range egg sales rise

Free range eggs have risen by almost a third since the end of last year. And for the first time in February more households are buying into free-range eggs rather than caged eggs. Finn Cottle, Noble Foods Group marketing director, explained: "Egg sales overall are in growth, it may surprise you that our healthy market is now bigger than the market for crisps. The increased consumption of eggs is encouraging especially as the prices of eggs have risen recently as a result of much higher wheat prices for producers. Free-range eggs have led that growth – but particularly in the last couple of months since Jamie Oliver's TV programme." Noble has recently introduced an initiative to pay better prices to organic free range producers to help them through the costs in meeting new rules on organic feed. Cottle continued: "We have just completed in depth research with consumers, it shows a definite preference for free range eggs when the eggs are used as the heart of the meal – like omelettes, scrambled egg or a straightforward boiled egg for breakfast."