tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30369024.post1543275039897458923..comments2024-01-23T21:55:22.044+11:00Comments on Free Range Eggs: Egg stamping may not enhance food safety - but it should 'stamp out' egg substitutionfreerangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14744888607623546872noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30369024.post-54240027503447047482013-11-14T17:41:31.744+11:002013-11-14T17:41:31.744+11:00Hi Gordon, the issue is food safety. Many backyard...Hi Gordon, the issue is food safety. Many backyard producers have no idea of food handling requirements and the importance of temnperature control etc.<br />No one suggests that people should be stopped from having backyard hens - but selling the eggs poses the problem. Why should legitimate small producers have to meet all the costs of being registered with their local Council and with DEPI, maintain a Food Safety Program, meet national labelling laws and only use new cartons if more than a million eggs a year are being sold by backyarders who meet none of those requirements.<br />Small operators don't need to spend thousands of dollars for stamping equipment. $40 or so is all that is needed. freerangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14744888607623546872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30369024.post-19006057254985053742013-11-14T14:21:56.428+11:002013-11-14T14:21:56.428+11:00As a backyard egg producer I primarily produce egg...As a backyard egg producer I primarily produce eggs for myself. My flock suffers occasional loss from day-time fox attacks, cars and even recently some hungry wedged tailed eagles, so I need a decent number of birds that will inevitably produce more than my own needs.<br />I can tell you that these birds have the best possible environment. There is leaf litter galore, green grass, frogs, lizards and wild native seeds. A sponge cake made from my hen's eggs looks like nothing you have ever seen, it is so orange!<br /><br />If I was to sell my unaccredited eggs to some dodgy egg seller who sells them as free range eggs, then the consumer might unwittingly get real decent eggs full of anti-oxidants, vitamin K2 and Omega 3s - it would be a terrible crime? However, I do not do shady deals with egg substitution rackets - and I doubt any backyard producers are doing anything of the sort. We sell our excess eggs at the local hardware store. If compulsory egg-stamping is implemented, I am not going to buy an egg-stamping machine - it is just not worth it. I will have to see how many eggs I can give away to my neighbours or feed them to pigs.<br />I find it hard to understand why small backyard flocks should be forced out of the market. I would be happy to put an identifying sticker on the cartons, but an egg-stamping machine is not economical. $4000 for maybe $60 a year revenue does not add up. I like to share my produce because I believe it is worth sharing. I want other people to see what an orange sponge-cake looks like - it is a community act, not a business venture.<br /><br />Phil says that egg-substitution must be stopped, and that exempting small flocks from stamping would make the law ineffective? But who is concerned about egg-substitution from small back yard flocks? If this exemption means the egg-substitution mafia want to buy my eggs, I would be most surprised. I will invite them in and offer them my orange sponge cake! Gordon Rousehttp://localfoodmap.netnoreply@blogger.com