Consumer advocacy organisation Choice is launching a national 'genuine free range egg hunt' to draw attention to dodgy free range claims.
Choice says that because consumers are paying a significant price premium for free range eggs, they need certainty that they are getting what they paid for.
The move comes as Australia's first free range egg infromation standard gets the final sign-off by state and territory ministers, with all producers now required within the next 12 months to prominently display their farm's bird density on cartons.
The new standard which sees a national definition of free-range that require hens have "meaningful and regular" access to the outdoors, and the density of chickens outdoors must be no more than one hen per square metre (10,000 hens per hectare).
Choice says the standard doesn't go far enough, and it wants consumers to download its newly updated free CluckAR app, scan cartons and mark the location in the app when they find genuine free range eggs.
“Packing hens into sheds or cramming them into small paddocks is a long way from consumers’ expectations when they think of free range," the organisation says.
Choice launched a boycott of fake “free range” eggs and its CluckAR app 12 months ago after Consumer Affairs ministers’ decision to sign off on a national standard for free range eggs.
“We’re asking consumers to download the newly updated and free CluckAR app, scan cartons and mark the location in the app when they find genuine free range eggs.
“The golden eggs are out there and by marking the store location when you find them, you’ll be helping all consumers avoid this multi-million dollar rip-off."
