Tesco has been accused of double standards after selling eggs at stores in Asia that come from hens kept in battery farms.
The supermarket giant has pledged to end the sale of eggs from caged birds in its Europe markets 2025 but the same commitment does not apply to its Asian customers.
Animal welfare organisation Lever Foundation says that hens at farms that supply Tesco in Thailand are kept in conditions of “despicable cruelty”.
The non-profit organisation says it filmed hens crammed into cages at a farm run by egg producer KasemChai Food , which supplies Tesco.
“It is a disgrace that Tesco is serving Asian customers eggs from companies that use cruel, filthy battery cage systems,” said Katherine Ma, porgramme manager at the Foundation.
“At farms of this Tesco egg supplier, dead hens are left to rot in the aisles, faeces and dirt coat the equipment, and mother hens are crammed in tiny battery cages so cruel they're illegal in the UK.
“Asian customers deserve the same treatment as those in the UK and Europe.”
The Foundation says that it recorded the footage earlier this year at a KasemChai Food farm north of the Thai capital Bangkok.
It says that birds have to climb on each other to move around and suffer from foot deformities and raw exposed skin from living in the cages.
“They will never be able to spread their wings or engage in natural behaviour,” it says.
The Foundation also points out that many other retailers including Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Pret a Manger have pledged to go cage-free in Asia by 2025 or sooner.
On its website KasemChai Food describes its vision as: “Aiming to be a leader in egg food products, with research and development coupled with modern technology for the Thai people to receive the best nutrition.”
At time of writing it has not responded to enquiries.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We uphold high standards for animal welfare which we continuously review according to the latest scientific advice, and only source from farms which are certified by local authorities.
"We have asked Lever to share any footage they believe shows the mistreatment of hens so we can investigate fully, and ensure all of our egg suppliers in the region adhere to our high standards.
“We’ve already committed to sourcing 100% cage free eggs in our UK and Central European businesses by 2025, and following a review of our supply chain in South East Asia aim to move to cage free eggs in the region by 2030.”
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