People can no longer buy free range eggs in the UK due to chickens being kept indoors for so long after the outbreak of bird flu.
Such eggs in stores are labeled “barn eggs” because the birds are kept in them for more than 16 weeks.
The country is currently experiencing its largest outbreak of bird flu to date and measures have been put in place to prevent the virus from spreading.
According to the RSPCA, around 55% of all eggs produced in the UK are free range.
That means they come from birds that have unrestricted access to the outdoor pastures during the day.
Signs will be put up in supermarkets to inform shoppers of the change.
Aimee Mahony, chief adviser for poultry at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said the government’s advice is that birds are “still at high risk” of contracting the flu.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for all bird owners and vigilance remains vital,” she added.
Ms Mahony said farmers were following “strict biosecurity measures” and adapting chicken coops to make the birds more comfortable.
Case numbers of the H5N1 strain of bird flu began to rise in November last year. The virus – which is highly contagious and can destroy poultry flocks – was first detected in North Yorkshire.
It poses an extremely low risk to humans, according to the NHS, although several people around the world have been infected, resulting in a number of deaths.
This led to the Government enforcing an Avian Flu Prevention Zone which made it a legal requirement for all bird keepers in the UK – whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock – to keep them indoors and strictly follow biosecurity measures.
Under such restrictions, egg farmers have a 16-week “grace period” to maintain their free-range status, but that ended on Monday.
Only when the risks to birds subside will the government lift the measures and let chickens back outside.
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, deputy director for groceries at the British Retail Consortium, said shops and supermarkets “would continue to support British farmers”.
In a statement, the government said it would work with farmers and retailers to implement the branding changes.
A spokesman added: “We are witnessing our largest outbreak of avian influenza to date and containment measures remain in place to protect poultry and other birds from this highly contagious and troublesome disease.”
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