Egg Labels, Explained

[Zak33]

Hi guys,

I found, inside an egg box, a description of what the inkjet printed numbers mean

First number indicated what kind of life the hens are living.

0= Organic
1= Free Range
2= Barn
3= Caged

Next letters are country of origin
ie UK

and the last string of numbers is the farm number.

Intrigued, I went through the fridge for my other eggs, and even the same boxes have loads of different farms in.

However, that's happens in many industry.

So, I think the first numbers help the most, especially when buying from large baskets of eggs in the local farmers markets or your local farm shop

0= Organic
1= Free Range
2= Barn
3= Caged

Hope that helps you all...cos I actively avoid Caged, and that's easier now.

[kalniel]

I already knew that

But I've taken to getting locally produced duck eggs now - at the moment they're the same price as decent hen eggs, but the yokes are enormous compared to hen eggs. Very bad for me I know, but tasty

Some places even trace the farm for you, for eg:

Chippindale Foods Ltd

Enter the code and it'll tell you about the farm etc.

[paulmb]

We always get the free range eggs.

But I'm always suspicious. I mean, can you really be sure that they're free range/organic or whatever?

Maybe they mix them up, so the box you buy contains both free range and caged bird eggs. But of course you pay the higher price.

Also, just exactly what do they mean by free range? are they totally free to roam, or do they just have room for a couple of steps in each direction?

Oh man, I'm going off eggs

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by paulmb

We always get the free range eggs.

But I'm always suspicious. I mean, can you really be sure that they're free range/organic or whatever?

Maybe they mix them up, so the box you buy contains both free range and caged bird eggs.

That's the point of the codes - they are on each individual egg so you know that each one has come from a free range farm.

What free range code on eggs means is:

Originally Posted by http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/poultry/faq/marketing.htm#freerang

Barn

The barn system has a series of perches and feeders at different levels. The maximum stocking density is 9 birds per square metre and there must be at least 250cm square of litter area/bird. Perches for the birds must be installed to allow 15 cm of perch per hen. There must be at least 10cm of feeder/bird and at least one drinker/10 birds. There must be one nest for every 7 birds or 1 square metre of nest space for every 120 birds. Water and feeding troughs are raised so that the food is not scattered

Free range

In free-range systems, the birds are housed as described in the barn system above. In addition birds must have continuous daytime access to open runs which are mainly covered with vegetation and with a maximum stocking density of 2,500 birds per hectare.

In all systems the birds must be inspected at least once a day. At the end of each laying period the respective houses are completely cleared and disinfected.

All EU requirements for the above systems can be found in Council Directive 1999/74/EC, Commission Regulation 2295/2003/EC, as amended by Commission Regulation 1515/2004/EC and Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002

[paulmb]

Hey thanks Kalniel

Eggs are now back on the menu

[Honest]

I got this code in a box from a farmers market last week. Have they just started to put it in?