Fine for not stamping eggs

Consumers are being put at risk by some egg producers who ignore regulations covering food safety, labelling and egg stamping. Many still do not stamp their eggs, and even more mislabel cartons. Most get away with deceiving consumers because enforcement is almost non-existent. Occasionally there s a prosecution. The latest involves an egg producer in Western Victoria. A Heywood egg producer has been fined $2,500 for selling unstamped eggs at local south-west supermarkets and from a farm-gate stall. It is a legal requirement that egg producers only sell eggs that are individually marked with the producers’ unique identification code. Some producers take advantage of slack enforcement and loopholes in the regulations. Agriculture Victoria authorised officers detected unstamped eggs at multiple retailers and from the farm-gate stall between December 2018 and March 2019. A Department spokesperson said “With recent Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria, it is a reminder of the importance of food safety and the need to trace food products efficiently and effectively.”