Easter is all about the egg. When buying eggs, many consumers now pay attention to the origin and type of farming when purchasing chicken eggs. These are often said to be German eggs from an animal-friendly farming system - but can that always be seen at first glance? This is what the Berlin Consumer Center explains in the fourth episode of the new podcast season.

Obligation to label the origin and type of keeping when buying eggs

The good news first: labeling the origin and type of farming is mandatory for raw eggs. Therefore, the conditions for making a conscious purchase decision about which eggs should go into the shopping cart are very good. However, it should be noted that the code on the box only provides information about where the eggs were packaged. “If you want to know where the egg comes from, you have to look at the stamp code on the egg,” says Sabrina Schulz, nutrition expert at the Berlin Consumer Center.

The stamp code not only reveals the origin of the eggs, but also the type of housing in which the laying hens live. The only thing that matters here is the first number: 0 stands for organic farming, 1 for free-range farming, 2 for barn farming and 3 for cage farming. Raw eggs from farming type 3 can usually no longer be found in the supermarket. However, they are still found in numerous processed products, such as mayonnaise, cookies and cakes. The obligation to label the origin of the eggs and the way in which the laying hens are kept does not apply to such products. In order to enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions when it comes to such products, consumer advice centers have been calling for years to extend the strict labeling requirement to include processed products.

Lack of transparency in colored eggs

“The transparency also ends with colored eggs. Anyone who buys dyed eggs often does not know what conditions the laying hens live in or where the eggs come from,” says Schulz. “The beautiful eggs may even come from countries where cage keeping is still permitted.” Consumers who value animal welfare can look for the organic seal when buying colorful eggs. This ensures that the laying hens have more space in the stable and can also be in the fresh air. Of course, you can also dye the eggs for the Easter basket yourself at home from more animal-friendly farming methods. There are no limits to creativity.

Buying eggs: information to listen to

The topic of egg labeling is also the subject of the fourth episode of the current season “Nachgehakt”, the podcast from the Berlin Consumer Center. If you are now wondering what the best-before date on the egg carton actually means, you can listen to these and many other exciting questions from consumers in the food and nutrition sector in the new “short and sweet” podcast season.

Further information

https://www.verbraucherzentrale-berlin.de/nachgehakt
https://www.verbraucherzentrale-berlin.de/wissen/lebensmittel/gesund-ernaehren/eier-kennzeichen-herkunft-faerbung-10592

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