Eggs sold in Victoria need to be stamped to comply with food safety laws.
These food safety laws were introduced to improve the safety of eggs throughout the food chain.
Producers with 50 or more chickens
Eggs from producers with 50 or more chickens must have a stamp identifying the farm. In this way if a Salmonella outbreak occurs and it is suspected to be from eggs, authorities can use the egg stamp to quickly trace the farm which produced the egg. Quail and duck egg producers are exempt from egg stamping requirements.
There are national food safety standards that all producers must meet to prove the eggs they sell are safely produced. Producers with 50 or more birds must also notify the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) of their business and apply for a property identification code
(PIC).
Producers with less than 50 chickens
If you are an egg producer with less than 50 birds you should follow the Guidance for Small Egg Producers.
Selling eggs
If you sell eggs directly to the public from places other than your farm, such as a stall or at a market, you must:
- register with your Principal Council or obtain permission; and
- lodge a Statement of Trade under the Food Act with each Council in whose district you will be operating. This tells the council where and when you will be trading. This can be done via that State-wide data base - FoodTrader.
Please contact Health Services on 03 5272 4411 to discuss this further.
Food businesses using eggs
Food businesses should be aware of the stamping laws and the following links will assist you or contact us for further information: