British Egg Industry Council calls for date stamping

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) is calling on wholesalers and caterers to use British Lion eggs, which ensure that the best-before-date is printed on all of their eggs to guarantee quality, freshness and food safety.

While a best-before stamp is not a legal requirement, concerns have been raised about how operators can accurately identify the freshness of the eggs they are purchasing, as many eggs sold by suppliers, including those which are imported, regularly fail to display a date.

Andrew Joret, chairman of the BEIC said, "The lack of best-before dates on egg shells represents a significant due diligence risk for caterers as well as a potential food safety risk for consumers."

Independent research* shows that freshness is a key consideration for caterers when purchasing eggs, best-before dates on all eggs can help ensure freshness and prevent not only a risk of mixing up eggs of different ages, but avoid food safety risks, particularly if salmonella is already present.

Joret continued, "Caterers need this information and it's about time that suppliers gave it to them."

** Independent Research Torch/BEIC Feb 2013*
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