Lancashire County Council Logo | Listen | Home | A to Z | Feedback | Complaints | Your Council | Business | Residents | Visitors |
August edition
Picture of computer
Exclusive Vision videos
Now available to view from our July edition of Vision:
Keep visiting our website - more videos will be added soon.
Free-range eggs deal in schools will set seal on quality for county children
Battery-farmed eggs are being kicked out of Lancashire schools in a major victory for child health and animal welfare.
From next month, county school meals bosses will ensure that ALL eggs in school dinners will be free range only. With 7.6m school dinners prepared each year for Lancashire children, the change is a major step forward for the national campaign to promote freerange chickens.
Even better for hardpressed parents…the change will not add a penny to family budgets.
County Councillor Tom Burns, Cabinet member for organisational development, said:
"This has taken time to arrange due to the large numbers of eggs we use.
"After talking with different suppliers we have a deal which balances animal welfare against the small cost increase.
"It is my opinion that this is a relatively small increase and, ultimately,what price do we put on improving the lives of chickens?"
The change to free range was prompted by County Councillor Sean Serridge, the council's Champion for Young People, who examined how large companies bought eggs - and how much they paid. All eggs will also be British.
Staff at Lancashire County Commercial Group (LCCG), the county's school meals supplier, are constantly looking into standards. They meet regularly with local suppliers to ensure standards are met while getting the best prices. Staff member Emma Tweedie meets farmers every week with a view to helping local food producers land county council meal contracts.
Not all Lancashire school kitchens are run by LCCG. Many of those are also investigating use of free-range eggs.
Food facts: When in season, 67 per cent of prepared vegetables and 100 per cent of prepared potatoes served in Lancashire schools are from the county.