Australia's consumer affairs ministers have voted on a new free-range egg information standard that will require egg producers to display stocking densities.
Choice is calling for consumers to boycott bad eggs in response to the decision which still allows the free-range label to be applied to stockings densities up to 10,000 hens per hectare.
The consumer advocacy organisation has lobbied hard for the ministers to regulate the claim to stocking densities that are more in line with consumer expectations - 1,500 hens per hectare.
Instead, consumer affairs ministers voted for an information standard for free-range eggs that requires a consistent display of stocking density with a maximum stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare.
“Unfortunately, consumer affairs ministers today voted to lock-in misleading free-range egg labels, and that is why we are calling for consumers to boycott these products,” Choice spokesperson Tom Godfrey said.
“The new ‘free-range’ rules clearly reflect the commercial interests of the big industrialised egg producers, allowing stockings densities up to 10,000 hens per hectare and no requirement that hens actually go outdoors."
According to Choice, most major producers of eggs labelled ‘free-range’ stock at 10,000 hens per hectare including Aldi, with its Lodge Farm Free Range Eggs brand, Coles Free Range, Ecoeggs, Farm Pride Free Range, Pace Farm Free Range and Woolworths Free Range.
Last week one major egg producer and processor, Sunny Queen, committed to an outdoor density of only 1500 hens per hectare for its free range egg farms.
