Several egg packers have been fined in England for fraud and altering the best-before dates on products.
Prosecutions occurred between January and March 2025 and involved offences under the Egg Marketing Regulations. They included the unlawful re-packing of eggs with altered or extended best-before dates and breaches of labeling standards.
Enforcement followed work by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Egg Marketing Inspectors (EMI) as well as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Counter Fraud and Investigation Team.
Graded Class A eggs must be labeled with information including the best-before date, which is a maximum of 28 days after laying.
At the end of March, Phillip Hoyland of Summerley Top Farm, Derbyshire pleaded guilty to fraud charges, which came about after routine inspections carried out by APHA EMIs and then an investigation by Defra’s Counter Fraud and Investigation Team. Hoyland was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, which was suspended for 24 months.
Extending shelf life
Barradale Eggs of Ashford, Kent, was prosecuted at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court in March. The case followed an inspection by an APHA EMI, who identified that a batch of eggs had been re-packed and the original best-before date extended — contrary to egg marketing legislation. The company was found guilty of one offence and was fined £466 ($621) and £85 ($113) in costs.
Field Farm Eggs, based in South Newbald, East Yorkshire, was prosecuted at Hull Magistrates’ Court in February this year, after inspections by an APHA EMI in December 2023. The visit revealed that a batch of class A eggs had been re-packed and the best-before date unlawfully extended. The defendant was found guilty of two offenses and fined £1,000 ($1,300), with a victim surcharge of £400 ($533) and costs of £85 ($113).
Holyfield Farm Fresh Eggs, based in north London, pleaded guilty to three charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court in January following inspections by an APHA EMI which found the original best before-date had been extended by four days. The court issued a fine of £2,000 ($2,600), which was reduced from £3,000 ($3,900) because of an early guilty plea, and awarded £200 ($266) for prosecution costs.
Aled Edwards, head of England field delivery at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, said: “It’s essential that consumers can trust the eggs they purchase are fresh, safe to eat, and clearly and accurately labeled.
“These cases demonstrate our robust enforcement procedures; across the country we have 35 EMIs who work in our field delivery teams and have the important role of ensuring regulations in the egg industry are adhered to. I welcome these sentences from the courts and hope they will act as a deterrent to others.”
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
