Each of the
digits from the code that you can see printed on an egg have a special meaning
telling us in which country they have been produced and how the hens have
been treated. That information can be identified next:
The first
digit tells us what method has been used to raise the hens. A 3 is given
for those which were raised in cages and where hens have very little space
to move in. This results in better controls and more productivity (controlling
illumination to increase production) but that results in a decrease in the welfare
of the animals and reduces their life expectancy.
Number 2 is
given to eggs the hens of which were raised on the floor but in high density
of individuals so mobility is reduced and illumination is controlled to increase
production.
One (1) is
for the hen classified as “free range”, those which are raised in big
spaces on the floor but they have the right to be outside for short periods of
time which makes that method more natural and ethical than the others.
Number 0 is
given for ecological or organic produced eggs so hens live in a real free
range method in low density and fed with grain form organic production and must
accomplish strict rules in the whole farm.
After
the first number we find two letters that indicates the country of origin (UK
for United Kingdom). The other numbers tell us the different regions of origin
and the last ones mean the code of the farm industry that produces the eggs.
Now we can see that the label on the eggs tells us a lot of information and
that makes us a more conscious consumer so we can choose in a more ethical way.
So if you need eggs remember buying those which have a number 1 or 0 and you
will be contributing to creating a better world for us and animals that live to
feed us.
