Eggs are defined as "eggs in shell — other than broken, incubated or cooked eggs — that are produced by hens of the species Gallus gallus and are fit for direct human consumption or for the preparation of egg products."
Registration
If you are producing and/or selling eggs, you must comply with the legal requirements set out in legislation. All egg producers in Ireland, regardless of the flock size, must register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as keepers of poultry to obtain a poultry flock number. Depending on the scale and type of the operation the registration requirements may vary. Contact DAFM for further information.
Marketing standard requirements and exemptions for egg producers
There are specific rules and exemptions regarding marketing standards for eggs sold directly to the final consumer by the producer on the production site, in a local public market or to retail (including other retail systems such as honesty boxes or vending machines):
- If you sell eggs directly to the final consumer at the production site or by door-to-door within a 100km region of the egg production unit, eggs do not need to be graded or stamped.
- Egg producers with 50 hens or fewer, who sell eggs using protected terms or farming methods such as "Free Range", “Barn” or "Organic," they must apply to DAFM for a unique egg producer code which must be stamped on the eggs.
- For egg producers with 50 hens or fewer selling eggs directly to consumers at a local public market (within 100 km of the egg production site) there is no need to stamp the eggs, provided that other information such as the producer’s name and address at the point of sale is provided.
- For egg producers with more than 50 hens selling eggs directly to consumers at a local public market, they must apply to DAFM for a unique egg producer code which must be stamped on the eggs.
- For egg producers with more than 50 hens, regardless of the point of sale of the eggs, obtaining a unique egg producer code from DAFM is mandatory. While quality and weight grading is not required for those selling directly to consumers at the farm gate, door-to-door, or local markets within 100 km
- Regardless of flock size, any producer selling eggs to retail, catering enterprises or any other food service establishments (B&Bs, nursing homes, canteens etc.) must have their eggs graded at an approved Egg Packing Centre, stamped with a unique producer code, and meet all relevant food safety and labelling regulations.
- Class A hen eggs sold at retail, including those sold to catering establishments and other food service establishments, must be sourced from Egg Packing Centres approved by, or Wholesalers or Distributors registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) or by an equivalent body.
Grading hen eggs
Eggs, which are subject to grading under marketing standards, must be graded based on their quality as follows:
- Class A
- Class B
Class A eggs must be graded by weight, except for eggs delivered to the food and non-food industry. As per Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 2023/2465, a Class A eggs include the following quality characteristics: the shell and cuticle have a normal shape, the egg is clean and undamaged, and when candled has no yoke abnormalities and the white is clear and translucent and contains no foreign matter or unintended smell. Eggs not meeting the quality characteristic provided for Class A eggs shall be downgraded to Class B eggs. Class A eggs must be graded by weight as follows:
XL - very large: weight ≥ 73 g
L - large: weight ≥ 63 g and < 73 g
M - medium: weight ≥ 53 g and < 63 g
S - small: weight < 53 g
The weight grading must be indicated by the corresponding letters (XL, L, M or S) or terms (very large, large, medium or small) as defined above, or by a combination of both.
If different sizes of Class A eggs are packed together in the same pack, the minimum net weight of the eggs must be given in grams and the indication ‘Eggs of different sizes or equivalent terms must appear on the outer surface of the pack.
The label must also comply with the general food labelling rules established in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers and provide the mandatory information required.
Class B eggs are eggs which do not meet the quality characteristics of Class A eggs, provided for in as per Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 2023/2465. Eggs not being marked, graded and packed within 10 days after laying are Class B eggs. Class B Eggs must only be delivered to the food or non-food industry and not supplied to the final consumer for human consumption.
'Food industry' is defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465 meaning any establishment producing egg products intended for human consumption, excluding mass caterers; and ‘non-food industry’ means any business producing products containing eggs not intended for human consumption.
Marking of eggs shells
Class A Eggs must be graded, marked and packed within 10 days of laying. Class A eggs must be marked with the producer code. The producer code must consist of:
The code for the farming method: (as defined by Annex I of 2023/2465)
1 – Free range eggs
2 – Barn eggs
3 – Eggs from enriched caged hens, and
0 – where production is organic
It must also include the code for the Member State where the establishment is registered. The code must be easily visible and clearly legible and be at least 2 mm high. The meaning of the producer code must be explained on or inside the pack.
Class B eggs must be marked with the producer code and/or with another indication. This must be a circle at least 12 mm in diameter around the letter ‘B’ at least 5 mm high or an easily visible colour spot of at least 5 mm in diameter.
For both classes, there is no requirement for the EPC’s identification mark on the egg.
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