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  • Home
  • About the EPF
    • EPF Membership
    • Useful Links
    • Contact Us
  • NZ Egg Farming
    • Egg Farming Types
    • Layer Hens & Caring for Hens
    • NZ Farming Standards
    • Interested in Starting a Commercial Egg Farm?
    • The Code of Welfare (updated 2018)
  • NZ Egg Industry Key Statistics
    • NZ Annual Egg Consumption Per Capita
    • NZ Import/Export Statistics
    • Food Item: Protein Cost Per Gram Comparisons
  • Information & FAQs
    • Latest News
    • High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI)
    • Nutrition and Health Benefits
    • Ensuring Quality Eggs for all New Zealanders
    • Egg Labelling
    • Eating & Cooking
    • Quick Facts & FAQ’s
    • Educational Resources
    • Research Papers and EPF Reports
    • Glossary
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Main Menu
  • Home
  • About the EPF
    • EPF Membership
    • Useful Links
    • Contact Us
  • NZ Egg Farming
    • Egg Farming Types
    • Layer Hens & Caring for Hens
    • NZ Farming Standards
    • Interested in Starting a Commercial Egg Farm?
    • The Code of Welfare (updated 2018)
  • NZ Egg Industry Key Statistics
    • NZ Annual Egg Consumption Per Capita
    • NZ Import/Export Statistics
    • Food Item: Protein Cost Per Gram Comparisons
  • Information & FAQs
    • Latest News
    • High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI)
    • Nutrition and Health Benefits
    • Ensuring Quality Eggs for all New Zealanders
    • Egg Labelling
    • Eating & Cooking
    • Quick Facts & FAQ’s
    • Educational Resources
    • Research Papers and EPF Reports
    • Glossary

Egg Labelling

Home » Information & FAQs » Egg Labelling

What to look for on an egg label or carton

When shopping for eggs, you can find a lot of useful information on the packaging and cartons. All commercially sold eggs in New Zealand must provide information on the egg size, best-before date, nutritional information and the contact details of the producer on the packs.

In New Zealand, there are several egg farming methods. All commercial egg farmers voluntarily label their products with the farming method which provides a range of options for consumers and their food budgets.

It is mandatory to have a ‘best-before’ date for all commercially produced eggs on packs. Eggs that have been refrigerated at 4C or below after purchase can be safely used up to the best-before date. Eggs can still be used after around 35 days from being laid as there will be little or no change in the egg quality after this date – but they are recommended for use in baking primarily vs poaching or frying.

Egg Sizes

Eggs vary from about 40-80 grams per egg. and egg grades are based on a minimum weight for each size, as below;

  • Jumbo (8): 68g
  • Large (7): 62g
  • Standard (6): 53g
  • Medium (5): 44g
  • Pullet (4): 35g
  • Mixed grade – this is a selection of different sized eggs

When it comes to selecting an egg size, personal preference and price are typically the main factors. However, certain baking recipes may require eggs of a specific size for best outcomes.

For more information on the latest Standards and Grades for Eggs visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Egg Stamping

The EPF takes pride in managing the nationwide voluntary egg stamping programme called ‘Trace My Egg’ This programme is a source-assurance initiative that spans the entire egg industry in New Zealand. It uses a 5-digit code that is stamped onto the shells of eggs, making it easily recognizable.

These stamps contain two parts as per the illustration below. A two-digit alpha code for easy recognition of the farm production method (FR – Free Range, BN – Barn, CL – Colony) and a 3-digit numerical farm code which takes traceability beyond carton branding and can be used to identify the exact farm the egg was laid at and the location of that farm. All participating farms must stamp the eggs at the farm source.

These codes make it easy to trace the eggs back to the farm they originated from by going to the Trace My Egg Website: www.tracemyegg.co.nz and entering the 5-digit code from the egg shell into the website’s Trace It! function.

All farms in the Trace My Egg programme are independently audited by a third party annually and agree to random audits as part of the programme’s ongoing reliability, credibility and integrity as a trustworthy verification system.

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About the Egg Producers Federation

The Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand Inc.
(EPF) represents the interests of all the commercial
egg farmers and producers in New Zealand.

Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand (Inc)
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