Views sought in eight-week consultation on updates to egg
marketing legislation
Producers will no longer need to change how eggs are
labelled during housing orders, saving farmers from costly
labelling
New proposals, joint with Scottish Government, will
reduce pressures on industry
Producers will no longer need to change how eggs are labelled
during an outbreak of avian influenza under proposals planned to
support British farmers set out by the Government today (Tuesday
9 January 2024).
Currently, when mandatory housing measures are introduced, eggs
from free-range birds may continue to be labelled as ‘free-range’
for 16 weeks - the existing ‘derogation’ period under the
Egg Marketing Standards Regulations. After that period, these
eggs must then be labelled as barn eggs.
The proposals for England and Scotland announced today – subject to an eight-week
consultation – will amend the Regulations to
remove the ‘derogation’ period, meaning that free-range eggs can
stay labelled as such throughout mandatory housing
measures.
The proposals aim to cut unnecessary red tape and costs for
British producers while also strengthening supply chains and
helping deliver the Government’s commitment to continue to
produce at least 60% of the food we eat in the UK.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is now a global
threat and the scale of outbreaks in recent years across the UK
and Europe have been unprecedented, with more than 360 cases confirmed
across Great Britain since late October 2021.
In both 2021/22 and 2022/23 the 16-week derogation period was
exceeded, which led to significant costs for industry as egg
packaging had to be changed to comply with
legislation.
Farming
Minister Spencer said:
“We understand the pressures bird flu outbreaks place on our
poultry and egg producers, which is why we continue to prioritise
ways to support the industry during outbreaks of this
disease.
“I encourage all those with an interest to take part in this
consultation to ensure that our free-range industry continues to
thrive in years to come.”
Chief Executive of the British Egg Industry Council, Gary
Ford said:
“With the vast majority of eggs produced in the UK meeting
free-range standards, the sector is very important to both
British consumers and farmers. BEIC has been calling for an
amendment to the egg marketing legislation to ensure that our
free-range egg farmers can remain competitive and continue to
provide British consumers with free-range eggs. This has become
increasingly important due to the unprecedented levels of Avian
influenza in recent years. The changes are essential to
ensure a long-term future for British free-range eggs, which we
know consumers want, and we strongly support the
consultation”.
Chief Executive of British Free Range Egg Producers
Association, Robert Gooch said:
“The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) is
delighted that producers should be able to protect their hens
from the risk of bird flu by housing their hens in accordance
with Government requirements without having to relabel their
eggs, as a result of this consultation. It would also align the
free range egg marketing rules with the European Union, which is
important as it means that British producers will be on a level
playing field with European farmers.”
The consultation launched today
(Tuesday 9 January 2024) will run for 8 weeks until 5 March 2024.
More information on the current
bird flu outbreak can be found on our latest situation
page.
