New Free Range rules in South Australia could have big implications.

I was a member of the Egg Standard Committee. Over a period of a few years we worked out what the food safety requirements were for producers and processors of eggs in Australia, this is now found in the Food Standards Code as the Primary Production and Processing (PPP) Standard for Eggs and Egg Products (Standard 4.2.5).

I remember during one of the first meetings of the Committee, that there was a lot of discussion about terminology and definitions.

There were several people, including myself, who raised the issue of “free range” and “organic” and how these should appear on the packaging of eggs. However it became clear that these issues were not related to the food safety of the egg and egg products, so were not to be specifically included in the Standard. Also it was stated at the time that there were already clear definitions available and these are the ones that the Standard would refer to, in terms of labelling of egg packaging.

For most people, when they think of Free Range, they probably imagine that the chickens are not held in cages and are allowed to run around and lay eggs wherever they want.

The problem is that there are slightly different definitions and interpretations depending upon where you are and what you do.

Therefore the South Australian government is considering setting a new industry code for what free range eggs are. The public consultation on this new code opened on 17 June 2013.

The SA government has proposed that the new code be drafted to include strict conditions such as:

• A maximum density of 1,500 layer hens per hectare on the outdoor range
• Hens to have unrestricted access to outdoor areas during daylight hours
• Outdoor areas to provide adequate shelter
• A prohibition on induced moulting

John Rau, SA Minister for Business Services and Consumers said “When South Australian shoppers buy their eggs, they should know exactly what they are getting and the environment from which it has come. I have been talking with South Australian egg producers about this issue – some have been frustrated a different standards and definitions of ‘free range’ across the states. I also know that South Australian shoppers have been confused about the way eggs are labelled, particularly the definition of ‘free range’. That confusion should be cleared up.”

Even though this new Code, if mandatory, will settle the ongoing debate about what free range means in South Australia, it could create issues nationally and in other states. The question that will obviously be asked is whether eggs from other states labelled as free range can be sold in South Australia as they will most likely not meet the new code.

It can be seen as being a step back to the times before the introduction of the Food Standards Code, when each state / territory had all their own food laws – and the confusion that existed then.

This article was written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach