Fines for mislabeling eggs are just a cost of doing business for dodgy producers

The scale of profits made by industrial egg producers labeling their eggs as free range has been highlighted in Western Australia. The false labeling adds millions of dollars each year to the profits of unscrupulous businesses Speaking in parliament, Nationals agriculture spokesman Colin de Grussa said WA egg producers were concerned at dodgy practices, allowing one operator to undercut competitors with prices that could not be matched by legitimate egg producers. Mr de Grassa said there was an industry estimate, that CF Farms free-range facility could produce 98,000 dozen eggs per week, yet it sells 150,000 dozen free-range eggs He said the business, previously trading as Snowdale Holdings, was fined a record $750,000 and ordered to pay $300,000 costs in 2017 after the ACCC took the company to the Federal Court for falsely labeling about five million cartons of eggs as free range. Fines for deceptive conduct and breaches of consumer law are regarded simply as a cost of doing business.