It's easy to buy free range eggs in the supermarket: just read the label, look out for those magic words, and hey presto, you've got free range poached, scrambled or boiled eggs for breakfast. But what about all the products containing eggs that we forget are there?
The Good Egg Awards is working to clear up this confusion with a high profile ceremony rewarding those companies that only use free range eggs in their products. Held annually by Compassion in World Farming, the event focuses on products from all over the EU, and previous winners have included Marks & Spencer, Pret a Manger, Sainsbury's and even McDonalds. This year's winners will be announced on Tuesday 29th April.
More shoppers than ever are prepared to 'shell out' for free range eggs, following Jamie Oliver's expose on battery farming, it emerged last week. For the first time in supermarket history, free range outsold battery, with 51% of sales.
In 'Jamie's Fowl Dinners', which aired in January, Jamie Oliver highlighted some of the cruel practices of intensive chicken farming, and captured the nation's hearts by putting live, fluffy chicks on the dinner table - only to slaughter the male ones mimicking what goes on in egg farms every day. This was reflected in February's eggs sales, from which the figures were taken.
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There are people all over the UK getting up in arms about a seemingly recent problem inflicted on us by our postmen: the dropping of red rubber bands on our pavements, garden paths and porches. In one unfortunate case, one of the bands was seen around the neck of a duck. So what's going on?
Rumours about postmen dropping the items in order to 'find their way home' have circulated, but more worryingly, some postmen have claimed off-the-record that they are advised to drop the rubber bands which they are told will 'biodegrade'; a theory we are going to conduct an experiment to test in coming weeks. We've got a genuine, Post Office issue rubber band immersed in water in our kitchen and will be monitoring its progress.
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Here's some good news for the poor, overworked donkeys that have been trudging up and down Britain's coast for decades carrying tourists: they no longer have to offer their services to overweight children.
Until now, kids of all shapes and sizes would be allowed to ride the donkeys, but now an eight stone weight limit has been imposed by new animal cruelty rules drawn up by The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, and is endorsed by the British Equine Veterinary Association. In Blackpool, the working donkeys already have 'employment rights' which include working no more than six days a week between 10am to 7pm, with one full day of rest, a minimum of an hour's lunch break and a donkey 'MOT' at the start of the summer season to ensure the animals are fit. Let's hope these new rules are adhered to and these gentle animals won't have to endure any more porky children on their backs!
PETA's latest gentle request to members of the public to renounce their meat-eating ways has seen a visibly pregnant woman climb into a replica farrowing crate like the ones used to house sows when they are expecting and nursing their young, in London's Covent Garden. Other protesters held up the banner ‘Unhappy Mother’s Day for Pigs, Go Vegetarian.’
Personally, I think it's a fair point -- albeit graphically made -- since the pracise of putting pregnant sows in these confined spaces is one I find pretty repugnant. However, I fear that PETA has shot itself in the foot once again here with a stunt that many people happily going about their shopping in Covent Garden will take offense of sneer at. If you'd like to make up your own mind on this issue, there's more information on the use of farrowing crates here.
These delightfully colourful beads are made by LeJu a label that designs and makes jewellery using a seed known as Vegetable Ivory, which is the only 100% sustainable alternative for elephant ivory.
I wasn't aware of it, but apparently there is still a big market for making trinkets out of elephant's tusks. So when you wear this necklace you'll not only look gorgeous, but you can know that you're helping prevent the hunting of elephants. “I work with a product that has a wonderful purpose, which is to help stop the killing of elephants to obtain ivory," says designer Lenny Trines.
The jewellery is high quality but not too pricey: this 'Bubble' necklace costs £55. [Via The Bag Lady]
Supermarkets are now 'struggling' to keep up with the demand for free range chicken following Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's expose of the poultry industry earlier this month.
Sainsbury’s has reported a 60% surge in demand for free range – and a 55% increase in demand for organic), while Waitrose saw demand for organic chicken rise by 31% in the second week of January while sales of free-range meat went up by 24%. Other supermarkets, however, have been oddly quiet on the issue...
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