Government responds to illegal Polish egg claims

Unmarked Polish eggs are believed to have been offered for sale in the UK, raising fears they may have come from illegal barren cages.

According to egg industry watchdog the AHVLA, “initial information did indicate that large volumes of eggs were being offered for sale”.

This could not be substantiated, though government officials have made both the Polish authorities and the EU Commission aware of their suspicions.

“AHVLA takes all allegations of breaches of the Eggs and Chicks Regulations seriously and all are investigated to ensure that only good-quality, salmonella-free eggs are marketed in Great Britain,” said a spokesman.

Under the regulations, all Grade A eggs sold for direct consumption should carry a code identifying the country of origin, the individual holding and the laying system.

The one exception is for farmgate sales or door-to-door sales rounds. Producers with less than 50 hens may also supply a local public market without egg stamping.

BFREPA chairman Roger Gent said that, if unmarked eggs were on sale, then there was no way of telling what production systems was being used. “Selling unmarked eggs is illegal, so it has to be stopped,” he said. “Egg producers in this country work to very high standards. If eggs are to be imported, they must be legal.”

A spokesman for the British Egg Industry Council confirmed it was aware of the rumours about unmarked Polish eggs being for sale. “If true, it is absolutely disgraceful.

“We fully support any prosecution of UK producers, egg processors, food service operators or retailers being found to import or use eggs not produced or marked in accordance with relevant legislation.”