SPCA Says Look For Logo On Egg Cartons
The Royal New Zealand SPCA says that consumers who want to make sure they are buying barn eggs or free-range eggs
should look for the Society’s logo on the packaging.
Egg producer Willem Klaas Stolte was fined $10,000 in the Masterton District Court this week for selling barn eggs under
a free-range label.
“Anyone who wants to be absolutely certain what kind of eggs they are purchasing is best advised to look for our
free-range or barn egg logo on the egg packet. This will make it quite clear whether the eggs are free-range or barn.
“Use of either logo is restricted to egg producers who have accepted thorough and regular SPCA auditing of their
production and packaging methods and facilities,” says the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Blomkamp.
The SPCA defines barn eggs as laid by hens who are allowed to move around and have room to dust-bath, perch, stretch
and nest. Free-range eggs are produced by hens who have all these advantages but who, in addition, are allowed to roam
outdoors.
“Apart from providing consumers with total certainty as to whether eggs are free-range or barn, our accreditation
system also, of course, provides an absolute guarantee that the eggs are not produced in the obscene conditions of
battery farming,” says Mr Blomkamp.