All free range egg producers in Australia will be bound by a new information standard that was announced yesterday.
Applied under Australian Consumer Law (ACL), the enforceable policy allows for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to prosecute producers who break the rules.
The rules are aimed at ensuring free range egg producers live up to their label.
Hens must have "meaningful and regular access" to an outdoor range during daylight hours, and be free to roam and forage outside.
There's also a maximum stocking density, which dictates how many hens are allowed per square metre of outdoor space.
From yesterday, egg producers can run a maximum of 10,000 hens per hectare of land in order to be accredited as "free range", which is the equivalent of one hen per square metre.
Producers must also "prominently state" their stocking density on egg cartons, and unpackaged eggs must be accompanied by signage with the stocking density printed on it.
