November 12, 2008

Imports of standard cage eggs should be banned, as the system will no longer be legal by 2012, said an industry expert.
 

There will be about 150 million layers still in conventional cages in 2012, and the current financial crisis will make it more difficult for the entire EU egg sector to convert on time, according to EPIC president Aled Griffiths.

This will cause standard eggs to be still in the market after 2012 despite the ban, Griffiths said.

There will be a new number four classification in egg stamps to differentiate enriched colony eggs from standard eggs. Enriched colony egg systems offer nest boxes, perches, scratching areas and more space.

Current egg stamping codes are numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3, presenting organic, free-range, barn and cage, respectively. Number 4 will be standard eggs.