Rural Smallholdings Magazine

THE INFORMATION YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ABOUT SELLING YOUR HENS EGGS

Eggs can be sold direct to the consumer by you:-

1. From your own farm/smallholding.
2. In a local public market.
3. By door to door selling.

Provided that:-

• The Class descriptions (Class A, B, C) and weight grades (Sizes S, M, L, XL ) are not used and
• A best before date is given to the consumer by a notice or pre-printed note. This is the words “Best Before” followed by a date until which the eggs will remain in a good condition. The best before date must not exceed 28 days from the date of lay.
• Eggs must be delivered or sold to the consumer within 21 days of laying.
• Eggs must always be sold at least 7 days before the “Best Before” date (This is to allow the consumer a reasonable period of storage).
• If you are not a registered packing station you must not supply your eggs to other retail premises.

Can eggs be labelled to show the method of farming?

Yes – eggs may be described as:-

• Free Range
• Semi-intensive
• Deep Litter, or
• Perchery (Barn)

But if one of these descriptions is used then the criteria specified for that method of farming must be met.

How must Free Range eggs be produced?

Eggs described as “free range” must be produced in poultry establishments in which the hens:-

1. Have continuous daytime access to open air runs.
2. Have access to ground mainly covered with vegetation.
3. Each have at least 10 square metres of ground available and their building has either:- i) Stocking density of no more than 7 hens per square metre of floor space and at least one-third of this area is covered with litter material such as straw and a sufficiently large part of the floor area is used for the collection of the bird droppings; or ii) A maximum stocking density of no more than 25 hens per square metre of floor space and the building is fitted with sufficient perches to ensure not less than 15cm for each hen.

How should I handle my eggs?

The following should assist you in ensuring that the eggs you sell are always in good condition:-

1. You should not refrigerate loose or packed eggs as this can cause condensation problems on the eggs leading to reduction of quality. Instead you should keep the eggs at a cool constant temperature, ideally between 8 and 12 degrees Centigrade. They should be kept dry and out of direct sunlight. Storage instructions on pre packs relating to refrigeration apply only to consumers and caterers.
2. Small cracks will cause them to deteriorate and lose weight quickly – so handle them as little as possible.
3. When eggs are displayed loose on Keyes trays do not stack up the eggs on the topmost trays as this causes the eggs to crack and leads to a reduction in quality.
4. You should rotate your stock to prevent eggs being in stock for too long and deteriorating in quality.

NOTICE The information provided here is as a guide only, as legislation does and can change. These details were found on the Tameside Local Government website and the full factsheet can be found by clicking here.

It is recommended that to verify the information you should contact your local Trading Standards Office.

Why not join the community of smallholders over at www.smallholders-forums.co.uk for support, advice, and friendship?