Information and advice
The requirements of EC Egg Marketing and Hatching Regulations are complex and can be confusing. If you think that your business may require some attention, please telephone or write to the Regional Egg Marketing Inspector responsible for your area.
| Southern | West Midland & Wales |
| Eastern | North & North East |
| Western |
The advice given you will relate strictly
to what is
required by law.
As well as being
able to receive oral advice, a series of explanatory leaflets has been produced
to help you understand more easily parts of the Regulations which may apply to
your business. These are:
EMR1 - Egg
Marketing Regulations.
EMR7 -
Conditions relating to use of laying date.
EMR 9 -
Regulations on production and marketing of hatching eggs and chicks.
EMR13 -
Labelling requirements.
EMR14 -
Production methods on eggs marketed under Special Marketing Terms.
Copies of these
leaflets are available from Regional Egg Marketing Inspectors (see Annex 1).
If you run any
of the following businesses you are required to apply to us for registration:
(a)
Egg Packing Stations
Those who grade
and sell hen eggs to other businesses, or direct to consumers if EC quality or
weight grades are used.
(b)
Collectors
Those who buy
and collect ungraded hen eggs from producers and deliver and sell to packing
stations.
(c)
Hatcheries
Those, other
than the very smallest, (with a capacity of less than 1000 eggs) who incubate
and hatch hen, duck, turkey, goose and guinea fowl eggs.
(d)
Breeders/Primary Breeders
Those, other
than those, with less than 100 birds, who produce eggs from the above species to
supply to hatcheries.
(e)
Certain Hen Egg Producers
Those supplying
egg packing stations with eggs intended for identification with the laying date.
Some businesses
are not obliged to seek formal registration, but if you run one of the following
types of business you may be visited by us:
(a)
Free Range/Perchery (Barn) etc. Producers
A registration
application form is not required if you are a hen egg producer wishing to market
to packing stations or collectors hen eggs described as Free-range, Perchery,
Barn, Deep-litter or Semi-intensive, or those to be described by origin.
However, you are required to be on our register and be inspected from time to
time to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation. We can trace you from
packing station records, but it is recommended that you contact us as soon as
you plan to start operations, so that you can satisfy yourself and your
customers that you comply with the legal requirements.
(b)
Wholesalers Including Auction Markets
Hen egg
wholesalers, i.e. those who buy graded eggs for sale to retail outlets for
further distribution or other business use, are not required to register with
us. However, we do carry out inspections at these premises, and if you are
setting up in such a business you are advised to contact us. Indeed many
wholesalers regard us not so much as law enforcers, but more as a quality
control service. If you are a wholesaler and you suspect that the product you
have bought is not up to the required standard, feel free to contact your
Regional Inspector (see Annex 1) who will be happy to arrange an inspection
without charge.
(c)
Egg Processors
Processors, i.e.
those who break out and pasteurise hen eggs, are not required to register with
us, but we will visit periodically to check on legislation concerning eggs in
shell.
The number of
visits you should expect depends on the size and/or nature of your business, and
how well you comply with the legislation. For example if you only keep a few
hens but you are registered to supply the local village shop with a few dozen
eggs per week, don't expect to see us very often. Where problems of
non\-compliance are found, additional follow-up visits are made.
An Inspection
Report Form will be completed at each visit showing the details of the
inspection and any action required.
We will discuss
the results with you and ensure that you understand the contents.
The notification
of action required will distinguish between cases where we are simply giving you
advice and those where you are in breach of legal requirements.
If we find that
you are not complying with legislation the action taken will depend on how
serious it is considered to be.
Where a minor
discrepancy is discovered, you will be advised on how to comply. It may just be
a reminder on the inspection report. In other cases, for example where quality
is not up to standard, a Notice of Contravention will be served requiring you to
put it right before marketing the product. Either the Notice and/or the
accompanying Inspection Report will tell you what needs to be done and by when.
However, if we can, we will advise you how best to prevent the problem
reoccurring. If it
looks like a husbandry problem, we will suggest the type of professional adviser
you could consult.
If you disagree
with the Notice of Contravention or seek further clarification you should
contact the Regional Egg Marketing Inspector.
Where serious
breaches are found, or where there has been non-co-operation in getting things
put right, ultimately we will consider prosecution. We hope to prevent such a
step, whenever possible, through good communication and advice.
(extracts taken from “Egg Marketing Inspectorate – code of practice”)