Battery eggs are on the way out. Quite literally: they’ve been removed from the theoretical ‘basket’ of goods the government compares year to year to see how prices are going up or down.

While I would love to say that this is because more people are keeping their own little flock at home, the truth of the matter is almost as good: battery eggs simply aren’t as representative of peoples’ buying habits as they once were. As the Telegraph explains:

Battery eggs have been ejected from the average British shopping basket for the first time since 1947.

Instead, more ethical free-range eggs have appeared, accompanied by rose wine and rotisserie chickens, reflecting the changing tastes of consumers…

Animal welfare campaigns by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall appear to have had the desired effect: large eggs have been replaced in the basket by large free-range eggs.

Strangely, cat food has been removed, too, which I don’t entirely understand. MP3 players have also gone, to be replaced by portable video players.

Related posts:

1. The problem with big eggs
2. Eggs for September
3. The cheapest eggs in town