New national guidelines for free range egg production will come into force late April and this week the Australian Consumer Commission released its own guidance on how best to adhere to the new rules
“If producers are meeting the standards then they won't run the risk of breaking these new consumer laws,” said ACCC chairman Rod Sims.
Key to the ACCC’s new guidelines is “meaningful access” to the outdoors for laying hens.
“Some farmers roll up the side of their sheds and there is instant access to outside and for them these new guidelines will not be a problem,” said Mr Sims. “But other producers have their hens in sheds with very few holes to get outside. These producers are running a risk by calling their eggs free-range.”
Last July ACCC won the right to stick a $750,000 fine on the largest egg supplier in West Australia, Snowdale Holdings and three others have been convicted in recent years.
“When consumers are paying double for free range eggs they have a right to know if those hens are free range,” Mr Sims said.
“This is all about chooks being outside. Stocking densities of 10,000 hens per hectare mean nothing if the birds are not allowed access.”