Jump to content

Food Traceability Codes/Eggs

From Open Food Facts wiki

Labels and Standards

Labels on egg packaging provide consumers with details about the farming methods, origin, and quality of the eggs. Common farming method labels include "Natural", "Free Range", and "Certified Organic".


Help the Egg Project

You can help us improve egg data on Open Food Facts by completing packaging codes and categorizing products:

Categorization Missions

Use the Hunger App to help categorize these specific types of egg products:

Category Tag Hunger App Mission Link
en:easter-eggs Help categorize Easter Eggs
en:filled-chocolate-eggs Help categorize Filled Chocolate Eggs
en:hollow-chocolate-eggs Help categorize Hollow Chocolate Eggs
en:fish-eggs Help categorize Fish Eggs
en:refrigerated-flan-with-eggs Help categorize Refrigerated Egg Flan
en:eggs Help categorize General Eggs
en:fresh-eggs Help categorize Fresh Eggs
en:boiled-eggs Help categorize Boiled Eggs
en:free-range-chicken-eggs Help categorize Free-Range Chicken Eggs
en:barn-chicken-eggs Help categorize Barn Chicken Eggs
en:cage-chicken-eggs Help categorize Cage Chicken Eggs
en:quail-eggs Help categorize Quail Eggs
en:chicken-eggs Help categorize Chicken Eggs

Proprietary and Producer Codes

Egg packaging often contains codes that enable consumers to trace the product's origin. These can be printed on the packaging (packager codes) or stamped directly onto the eggs. Note: We currently store all of this information in the "packager code" field on Open Food Facts.


Global Traceability by Country

Australia

The National Livestock Identification System Database (NLIS) https://www.nlis.com.au/ keeps details about property identification codes ("PIC") nationally.

NSW/Sydney
  • All eggs sold in NSW must be individually stamped with the producer's unique identifier, usually a number or code[1].
    • There are no mandatory images, symbols or lettering. The NSW Food Authority only stipulates that the stamp is a unique code that is assigned exclusively to one producer.
    • Businesses supplying eggs interstate will need to research the stamping requirements of the destination.
  • Impact of egg stamping on egg producers[2]
    • Not all egg producers and processors in NSW are required to stamp their eggs due to exemptions under the NSW Food Regulation 2015.
    • As of 16 Feb 2016, there are 198 egg production and processing facilities licensed by the Food Authority that are required to stamp eggs with a unique identifier.
    • Only facilities with production above 240 eggs per week are licensed.
    • Egg primary producers do not need to stamp their eggs if they sell directly to an egg processor, who then applies a stamp to each egg on the producer’s behalf
    • There are many egg producers producing fewer than 240 eggs per week, who are required to stamp their eggs as they are sold through the retail supply chain
    • Eggs sold direct from the farm gate from these businesses are exempt from stamping.
    • The Food Authority maintains an electronic record of egg stamping information (e.g. alpha numeric code, images) as part of businesses overall compliance history.
Victoria/Melbourne
  • An egg producer with 50 birds or more must mark individual chicken eggs with a unique identification code.[3]
  • In Victoria, the PIC register ("Property Identification Code") is used to provide producers with their egg stamp code.

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Canada

http://oeuf.ca/les-familles/la-tracabilite/

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Europe

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Italian eggs code system printed on most egg packaging

First number in the code represents the farming typology

  • 0 = organic
  • 1 = free range eggs
  • 2 = cage free eggs
  • 3 = cage eggs

Japan

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

New Zealand

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

  • Russia: The GOST 31654-2012 ("Food chicken eggs. Specifications") standard dictates exactly what must be printed directly on eggs to specify their shelf life and mass, as well as mandatory packaging label requirements.

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

http://www.lioneggfarms.co.uk/information/egg-codes/

Laid in Britain

Genuine "Laid in Britain" I.D.Number

Organic	 	 	 	Free Range	 	 	 	Colony
0	UK	15813	 	 	 	1	UK	10065	 	 	 	3	UK	10038
0	UK	15971	1	UK	11550	 	 	 	3	UK	10160
0	UK	17582	1	UK	11776	 	 	 	3	UK	11193
0	UK	19378	1	UK	11780	 	 	 	3	UK	11550
0	UK	20621	1	UK	12355	 	 	 	3	UK	11776
 	 	 	1	UK	12888	 	 	 	3	UK	11992
 	 	 	1	UK	13590	 	 	 	3	UK	12220
 	 	 	1	UK	14238	 	 	 	3	UK	12422
 	 	 	1	UK	15054	 	 	 	3	UK	12843
 	 	 	1	UK	15961	 	 	 	3	UK	12888
 	 	 	1	UK	17357	 	 	 	3	UK	17011
 	 	 	1	UK	17701	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	20837	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	20997	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	21318	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	21433	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	21598	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	21716	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	22849	 	 	 	 	 	 
 	 	 	1	UK	22998	 	 	 	 	 	 

United States

Codes available on GitHub

  • GitHub: Codes and parsing scripts are available on the Open Food Facts GitHub repositories.