Millions of eggs lose '˜free range' status amid bird flu fears

MILLIONS OF eggs are to temporarily lose their free-range status after farmers were forced to keep hens inside barns to limit the spread of bird flu.
Millions of eggs are to temporarily lose their free-range status after farmers were forced to keep hens inside barns to limit the spread of bird flu.Millions of eggs are to temporarily lose their free-range status after farmers were forced to keep hens inside barns to limit the spread of bird flu.
Millions of eggs are to temporarily lose their free-range status after farmers were forced to keep hens inside barns to limit the spread of bird flu.

An avian influenza prevention zone was declared on December 6, forcing owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors or to take steps to separate them from wild birds.

Under EU legislation, eggs from birds which have been housed for more than 12 weeks cannot be marketed as free range.

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Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has advised that it is adopting a more targeted approach as of yesterday, with the majority of producers in England able to let their birds outside again providing they observe strict disease prevention measures. Producers in Scotland and Wales will also need to carry out similar risk assessments.

Areas close to large inland or coastal bodies of water, where significant numbers of wild birds collect, are deemed higher risk, so compulsory housing or total netting will continue to be mandatory.

Defra said about 75 per cent of poultry keepers will be unaffected, but where birds are housed rather than netted, eggs and some poultry from them will no longer be classed as free range.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), which represents more than 95 per cent of UK free-range egg production, said that although some free-range hens will be allowed back outside this week, some farmers will choose to temporarily keep their hens housed to protect them from the continued risk of avian influenza.

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It said all members’ free-range egg packs will temporarily carry stickers from today, informing consumers that the eggs have been laid by hens currently kept in barns, to create a level playing field for producers.

There will also be signs near where eggs are sold highlighting this and the freerangeinfo.com website has been set up.

The BEIC’s chief executive, Mark Williams, said: “The need to change labelling of free-range egg packs after 12 weeks is an EU requirement. However, these are all still free-range hens but some are temporarily housed to protect them from bird flu.

“Free range producers still incur the same costs for land and staff while birds are housed, and in many cases are facing increased costs for additional biosecurity.

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“We need to avoid a potential ‘postcode lottery’ whereby individual farmers could be penalised if they have chosen to temporarily continue to keep their hens inside.

“Therefore all of our members, supported by retailers, have taken the decision to label all free-range eggs, to help protect the future of the British free range sector.”

Mr Williams added: “Our research shows that consumers are supportive of farmers putting birds’ health first and 80% are happy to continue to pay the same price, or more, for eggs from free-range flocks temporarily housed inside.”