Tip of the Week
Eggs are classified into either Class A or Class B. Class A is the highest grade and eggs can be sold as ‘shell eggs’. Class B eggs have usually been damaged in some way, so are broken out and pasteurised and used in manufacturing or pasteurised egg yolk etc. Therefore, the shell eggs we purchase are Grade A eggs.
So, what do the codes on our eggs mean?
Class A eggs must be stamped with a code such as 0 UK54321, and British Lion eggs also have a best before date and carry the Lion logo.
- The first number is the farming method – 0 = organic, 1 = free range, 2 = barn, 3 = cage
- Next comes Country of Origin eg. UK and Farm ID.
- Lastly is the Best Before date
In the UK we have now eradicated the presence of Salmonella in British Lion Marked Eggs only. This makes eggs marked with the Lion Mark safe for raw or lightly cooked consumption. The Lion Mark signifies a common welfare standard and shows all the hens have been vaccinated against Salmonella.
If you use eggs from a local farm that does not subscribe to The British Lion Mark organisation, it does not mean there is anything wrong with the eggs. It just means you cannot guarantee they are free of Salmonella. Therefore, don’t serve these eggs raw. If the eggs are not date stamped, ask your farmer to write date of lay on the box/tray. They are at their best if eaten within 2 weeks of lay but will keep fine for one month.
All eggs must show date of lay/best before date.
Alert
To keep eggs at the best quality, store in the refrigerator below ready to eat foods.
Weekly Food Fact
Did you know than an average hen lays between 300 to 325 eggs each year.
Brown eggs are often identified as being better for you, but this is incorrect. There is no nutritional difference between a brown or a white egg.
My eggs don’t have lion on them. Does that mean they’re foreign.
Not necessarily. All eggs that carry the British Lion mark have been produced under the stringent requirements of the British Lion Code of Practice. Small producers/farms may not have the facilities to meet all the demands of the Lion Mark but should still have the date on them. If buying in a shop, the box should show where the eggs came from.
My eggs have a blue p stamped on them. What does that mean.
This post only applies to the uk. Other countries have their own coding.
What does SCO mean on my egg shells?
Used in Scotland with the lionmark to indicate egg production meets EU stndards.
I want to check which farm my eggs are from as the box no longer gives this information. I cannot trace a website which accepts the stamp information
Farm ID: 123 – 3UK3207SCO
Please can you help?
All egg producing farms with more than 50 hens need to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency which then gives them a number. The stamp information indicates that it is a Scottish based farm but you need to contact APHA to get more information. Try CSOneHealthEggMarketing@apha.gov.uk.
I have just recieved some free range eggs bought from a farm but, upon looking at them, some have the 3 stamp on them, which i understand is from caged hens and some are not stamped at all! Does that mean they are all from caged?
Check with the supplier. If free range, they should be stamped with 1 – 3 indicates caged hens but no way of knowing if not stamped. Some suppliers are so small they don’t have the facility to stamp eggs but it is a bit strange to stamp some and not others unless the farm is buying from others.
I’ve bought some free range eggs from a supermarket but they are only stamped with the lion and best before date, there’s no stamp identifying them as free range on the egg itself. Is this normal?
There should be a 1 marked on the egg to indicate it is free range. check with the supermarket if you are not happy.
What does the blue stamp and green stamp mean? Can they be eaten raw? I bought eggs from the brand “Clarence Court”, the stamps are in the same format but green color. Is it still mean Salmonella free?
The colour of the ink doesn’t matter. If you are not sure, ask your supplier.