New options for free-range egg labelling could be on the cards according to a consultation paper released this week by Australia's consumer affairs ministers.
Among the options discussed, producers may have to disclose the number of hens per square metre or per A4 size, as these are easier for the average consumer to conceptualise compared to hens per hectare.
Another option is to use a graphic to show the number of hens that would fit into a designated area, according to the consultation paper.
The other options are to either establish a national standard for all egg labelling, or to continue with the current system which relies on Australian Consumer Law, with further guidance to be provided by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The ACCC has, in the interim, released a guide to assist egg producers better understand their Australian Consumer Law rights and obligations when promoting their products as free range as consultations continue.
The consultation follows a CHOICE investigation in June this year estimating a minimum of 213 million eggs sold in Australia last year under the 'free-range' label failed to meet consumers' expectations of the free-range claim.
