‘Breggsit’ storm here

British Lion egg processors have warned that food businesses need to brace themselves for the potential for empty shelves ahead of the UK’s departure from the European Union in March 2019 unless they act now to commit to contingency plans with UK egg processors for products such as egg sandwiches. While supply issues will undoubtedly be worse under a no deal scenario, British Lion egg processors are still predicting issues with supply whether a deal is struck or not. As the UK is a net importer of egg products it is particularly vulnerable, and with anything up to 10,000 products containing eggs as an ingredient in an average supermarket, any issues with eggs are likely to have a much wider impact than most other products. The UK flock has significantly increased in recent years to meet growing demand for British Lion egg products but with time running out for food businesses to secure supply, and a surge in demand likely as companies belatedly try to ensure surety of supply and avoid the uncertainty associated with specifying imported egg products, significant supply issues are expected. Ian Jones, British Lion egg processors Chairman, said: “We’ve talked about a ‘Breggsit’ storm brewing but it’s now here, and that won’t change, deal or no deal. We will work with manufacturers and retailers to manage their requirements as best we can but it needs to be made clear that those conversations need to happen sooner rather than later. “It should also be made clear that the ramifications of Brexit on egg products supply are unlikely to be resolved quickly so food businesses also need to work with the processing industry on long-term sustainable agreements to minimise its impact. “I strongly urge food businesses across the UK to ‘trust the Lion’ and rely on British Lion eggs and egg products – for both surety of supply and food safety - ahead of the UK’s departure from the European Union in March 2019.”