Avian flu: All free range eggs now labelled ‘barn eggs’
1st February 2023
The 16-week derogation period, allowing eggs to be labelled free range despite the avian flu housing order, comes to an end in East Anglia on 1st February – but labelling has changed across the UK to avoid confusion.
Defra declared a regional avian flu housing order for Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex on 12th October due to high levels of avian influenza H5N1 in those areas.
Compulsory housing followed for the whole of England on 7th November, extending to Northern Ireland on 28th November and Wales on 2nd December.
Scotland has not yet declared a housing order.
The 16-week derogation will end for parts of East Anglia on 1st February, but the British Egg Industry Council has agreed that labelling will change across the UK to avoid operational difficulties.
As a result, all free-range eggs will be labelled ‘barn eggs’ from today (1st February).
Since October 2021 the UK has experienced its worst outbreak of avian influenza to date. There have been 166 confirmed cases of H5N1 in the UK since 1st October 2022 – and 279 cases in England alone since the outbreak began in October 2021.
