Discontinued model on the shelf
Why there will soon no longer be brown eggs in the supermarket
Monotonous: Consumers will soon no longer be able to choose between brown and white eggs in the supermarket
© Armin Weigel / Picture Alliance
Less choice in the supermarket: egg cartons could soon only contain white eggs. The reason for this is the breeders. This is what the chairman of the Federal Association of German Egg Producers says.
“White chickens have greater genetic potential than brown ones. They live and lay longer,” says Schönecke. “White chickens are easier to keep and more mobile than brown ones.” They find their food and water better, and they are lighter and smaller, as are their eggs. This makes laying less strenuous. Brown eggs are now only available from a few regional keepers. STERN PAID 14_24 Life cycle assessment 10.30
Supermarket: Only a third of the eggs are brown
White hens lay white eggs, while brown-feathered ones lay brown ones. According to Schönecke, this is the rule, at least for chicken breeds in Germany. According to the association, the proportion of brown eggs in supermarkets is still around 30 percent, and discounters often no longer have them. Ten years ago, more brown eggs were sold than white eggs in this country.
A customer survey by the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry shows that brown eggs are still often more popular among older people. Younger people usually don’t care about the color; aspects such as animal husbandry and regionality are more important to them. See the chickens and see which eggs they lay 11.12
The color of the eggshell makes no difference to the taste
“The majority of consumers don’t really care about the color of the shell,” said a spokesman for the trading company Rewe. An exception is Easter, where white eggs are clearly preferred. Whether brown or white: this has no noticeable impact on buyers. According to Schönecke, brown eggs used to have a firmer shell, but not anymore. There are no differences in taste. The 51-year-old, who is a laying hen farmer himself and runs a fourth-generation family business between Buxtehude and Hamburg, switched completely to white a year and a half ago.