Selling and sharing backyard eggs

If you are thinking about selling or giving away eggs, regardless of the size of your flock, check your legal obligations and assess the potential food safety risks against the egg standard.

If you have 50 or more birds, you must mark individual chicken eggs with a unique identification code (egg stamp code) before distributing them. If you keep a flock of less than 50 birds and sell or share your eggs, it is highly recommended that you obtain an egg stamp to enable better traceability in case of a food safety risk.

In Victoria, a Property Identification Code (PIC) is used to register and provide producers and backyard poultry owners with their egg stamp code. A PIC enables Agriculture Victoria to contact and assist you in the event of a fire, flood, or animal disease outbreak, such as avian influenza or Salmonella enteritidis. PICs are free and easy to obtain through Agriculture Victoria. For information and to apply for a PIC, visit the Application for a Property Identification Code (PIC) system.

If you are selling or giving away eggs, use new cartons if possible or keep reused cartons clean and away from birds. Be aware that there are legal restrictions to using corporate-branded cartons without permission.

For more information see:

• Producing safe eggs at home
• Complying with the egg production standard
• Egg safety awareness