EU warns UK on egg cascading

The process of cascading eggs occurs when egg packers have too much of one production method of egg and then place that egg into packs of another production method. Whilst it is illegal to cascade up from a lower welfare egg to a higher welfare egg, cascading of egg down in welfare is quite common. Although the EU stress that this too is illegal and have asked DEFRA to explain why this process is still being used.

The warning came after rumours circulated in the United Kingdom that the European Commission had been approached by someone in the UK - possibly in Scotland - to ask about the legality of cascading free range eggs into barn or cage supplies. Such a practice is one possible way of dealing with a surplus of free range eggs during times of oversupply in the market, although there would appear to be no need for cascading at the moment. Marketeers have been telling the Ranger for the last few months that free range egg supplies are particularly tight. Some have found it difficult to obtain free range eggs for their customers.

There has been a feeling amongst many in the egg industry that whilst selling cage or barn eggs as free range would clearly be misleading for consumers and wrong under EU law, cascading free range down to barn or cage would be acceptable. But a spokesman for the Commission’s DG Agri directorate told the Ranger that this was not the case. “Egg cascading is not allowed under EU rules,” he said. The practice was completely outlawed by the regulations.

Asked whether there had been an approach about the issue from the UK, he said, "We are not im-mediately aware of a question from Defra on this issue, or recent correspondence from the European Commission's DG Agri with Defra on this subject,” said the spokesman, although he said that there had been an approach from another member state. “Although we are not aware of a recent official request from Defra on this issue, a similar request was made by another member state some time ago and the Commission replied officially that this practice is prohibited as it would mislead the consumers and be contrary to traceability rules on eggs.”

He said in a prepared statement, “The marketing of eggs is ruled by the provisions of the single CMO Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and the Regulation (EC) No 589/2008 on marketing stand-ards. The EU rules aim to ensure that marketing of eggs is fully harmonised in the EU and that con-sumers are clearly and correctly informed on the farming method used to raise the laying hens. Ac-cording to Art 12 of Regulation 589/2008, packs containing class A eggs shall bear on the outer surface in easily visible and clearly legible type the farming method used ‘organic’, ‘free range eggs’, ‘barn eggs’ or ‘eggs from caged hens.’

In addition, class A eggs shall be marked with the producer code according to Annex VII part VI, III point 1 of the single CMO Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. The producer code starts by a ‘1’ if laying hens are raised free range and a ‘3’ if laying hens are raised in cages. The meaning of the producer code has also to be explained on or inside the pack.”

The spokesman said, “The above mentioned rules prohibit de facto the marking of free range eggs as cage eggs.” He said, “Egg cascading is not allowed under EU rules.”

The Ranger understands that officials at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently spoke to egg producers at a stakeholder meeting to obtain their views on the issue of cas-cading. It is not known whether this was prompted by the approach made to the European Commis-sion about the practice and the Commission’s response that cascading is against the rules.