The Sun admits that eggs CAN be sold by the dozen

Earlier this year, the Sun (and the Daily Mail) reported that the EU was planning to ban eggs from being sold by the dozen.

The story was, of course, complete rubbish and was merely the latest example of the tabloids stoking anti-EU sentiment with misleading information.

(A similar example of this tactic is the Express’ claim that the EU wanted to ban milk jugs, for which they later apologised, and their misleading headline from yesterday.)

Well, now it’s time for the Sun to apologise about their egg story:

Ray Merrell complained to the Press Complaints Commission that the newspaper had published an article about the European Union’s plans to sell all food by weight which was misleadingly headlined “Euro ban on eggs by dozen”. The complainant pointed out that it was not the case that British shoppers would no longer be able to by a box of six eggs or a dozen rolls: merely that the items will be priced by weight. He was concerned that the article – which appeared on page ten of the newspaper and online – represented an attempt to stir up anti-EU feeling among readers.

The complaint was resolved when the PCC negotiated the publication of the following article which clarified the situation:

Eggs by a dozen are safe

Brussels has vowed it has no plans to ban Brits buying eggs by the dozen. Controversy erupted in July following reports that the EU wanted food to be only sold by weight. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman pledged to fight the plans. And the Food Standards Authority watchdog also voiced concern. But the European Parliament has insisted it never intended to stop people buying eggs or bread rolls by the dozen. A spokesman said: “Selling eggs by the dozen will not be illegal under the terms of the amendments adopted by the European Parliament to EU food labelling proposals. “Labels will still be able to indicate the number of food items in a pack, whether of eggs, bread rolls or fish fingers.”

The above appeared on page four of the newspaper.

The original article is still available on the Sun’s website without a clarification.