As the date for complying with the Jan 2004 egg coding legislation approaches, all Class A egg producers should by now have obtained registration forms and be in the process of completing and returning them to Defra in order to receive their unique producer number. Many producers began to equip themselves with suitable printing equipment well in advance of the Jan 1st deadline, but some producers have still to make their decision.
The legislation has been brought in to increase traceability and provide consumers with more information on the source of eggs. This means that foreign eggs will be more easily identified and it will be harder to ‘pass off’ intensively produced eggs as free range – boosting consumer confidence in the quality of the eggs supplied. For producers, there are new marketing opportunities, such as the opportunity to print a logo on each egg, as well as the farm code.
Egg producer Tim Wood of Blackacre Farm near Wincanton, Somerset, is one of the many who is already geared up for printing.
“The introduction of egg coding is a good thing,” says Tim. “It will definitely be of benefit to genuine free range producers that fraud is greatly reduced through increased traceability provided by the farm code. The codes are easy for consumers to understand, with the country of production being clearly marked. However, it is important to choose a printer that isn’t going to cause you problems and stress.”
The Linx 6800EC continuous ink jet printer has been specifically designed by Linx Printing Technologies with egg producers and packers in mind. Since its launch, the 6800EC has received an excellent response from egg producers.
Roger James, Linx Product Manager, says: “Producers of all sizes see the significant advantages offered by continuous ink jet printing and the Linx 6800EC in particular, because it is fully automatic and can be easily installed onto all existing grading lines that we have seen to date (e.g Moba, Staalkat and older Ben Nevis graders). It is also ideal for smaller producers who do not want to see an increase in complexity of their operations and the associated labour costs.”
Unlike bubble jet printers which use water-based ink, the Linx 6800EC uses an ethanol-based food grade ink which is very fast-drying and produces a clear smudge-free code. The printer is designed to be reliable in farm conditions, working well from 0˚C to 45˚C without a warm-up delay and it copes well with the short print runs typical of the egg production environment. If advice is ever needed, Linx has a team of regionally based service engineers to respond.
Says Roger James: “Egg producers who have yet to buy a printer really should complete their purchase as soon as possible to ensure they comply with the new legislation in time. To help customers make decisions, Linx is offering a free on-site demonstration or a short-term trial to show the benefits of the Linx 6800EC egg coder. Anyone wishing to arrange a free trial or demo should contact us on 01480 302100 or email uksales@linx.co.uk.”
Tim Wood has been trialling a 6800EC for the last few weeks. “We were looking to buy a printer that was reliable and required little maintenance. We have found that the 6800EC really is simple and easy to use. We were concerned about having a new machine on our production line and that we would have to learn how to operate and maintain it. However, we have found that installing and using the 6800EC really is nothing to be worried about and no maintenance is required either before or after the daily print run.”
