Billions of eggs produced by hens kept in battery cages could be back on the UK menu in the event of a no-deal Brexit unless the government acts to protect consumers, the industry will warn this week.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) and the welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) have joined forces to seek assurances from ministers that consumers will not be exposed to eggs or egg products from non-EU countries such as the US, Ukraine, India and Argentina where animal welfare standards are significantly lower.

They are worried that the government has so far refused to confirm that tariffs will be put in place on foreign eggs and egg products, potentially opening the door to the import of eggs produced in cages that were banned in the UK in 2012 on animal cruelty grounds.

Andrew Joret, the chair of the BEIC, said: “It would be a national disgrace if the government were to remove tariffs to allow eggs into this country which do not meet even the most basic of welfare standards. It is seven years since we banned barren battery cages in the UK and consumers would justifiably feel betrayed if this were to happen.”

Joret also questioned the food safety record of many egg-producing countries. “The BEIC keeps a global list of issues associated with eggs from other countries and we’ve almost lost count of the number we’ve seen which could put consumer safety at risk – everything from salmonella to fipronil. We also need to ensure UK consumers are protected from this.”

In August 2017, UK supermarkets withdrew egg products from their shelves as it emerged that 700,000 eggs from Dutch farms implicated in a contamination scare involving the insecticide fipronil, which is harmful to human health, had been distributed to Britain.

Peter Stevenson, the chief policy adviser at CIWF, said: “We urge the government in the event of a no-deal Brexit to place tariffs on imported eggs, otherwise eggs – and particularly egg products – from battery hens could flood into the UK, undermining our farmers. If the government fails to protect UK farmers from cheap, low-welfare imports, it will be impossible for it to honour its commitment to using Brexit to achieve gold-standard levels of animal welfare.”

While the government has pledged to provide robust protection for lamb and mutton, beef, poultry, dairy and pork to safeguard the British farming industry, the BEIC said it risked dealing a devastating blow to not only the British egg industry, but to consumers by refusing to confirm that protection would also be given on eggs and egg products.

Separately, Minette Batters, the president of the National Farmers’ Union, has urged the government to set up a commission of food and farming experts to help maintain high food production standards after Brexit.

So-called egg products are those that have been processed into whole egg, yolk or albumen and are used by food manufacturers, bakers and caterers for products such as cakes, quiches, egg sandwiches and mayonnaise. They represent about 25% of the eggs used in the UK.