You will need this accreditation if you intend to become a commercial egg producer. Commercial egg producers or egg businesses keep birds to produce eggs for human consumption and are also involved in one or more of the following activities:
- sale or supply of eggs to a food business (e.g. corner shops, cafes, restaurants, canteens or another egg business)
- sale or supply of eggs at a market
- sale or supply of eggs by wholesale.
The production threshold for full accreditation is 20 dozen eggs per week, approximately the equivalent of keeping 50 egg-laying birds.
Commercial egg producers fall within 2 categories:
- Category 1: unaccredited (small) egg producer, producing fewer than 20 dozen eggs per week.
- Category 2: accredited egg producer, producing 20 dozen or more eggs per week.
If you are a Category 1 producer, you will not need to hold an accreditation or pay for annual food safety audits. However, you will be required to formally notify and register your activity with Biosecurity Tasmania and comply with the relevant standard, including stamping eggs with a unique identification mark.
If you are a Category 2 producer then you need full accreditation and must have in place an approved food safety program which is independently audited at least once every 12 months. Accredited producers must comply with the relevant standard and need to stamp eggs with a unique identifier.
You will need to comply with Australian Consumer Law labelling requirements if you intend to market your eggs as 'free-range'.
Small backyard egg producers with less than 20 egg-laying birds on their property primarily for home consumption, but who may occasionally sell or barter excess eggs directly to friends, family or neighbours, do not need accreditation or to comply with the relevant standard.
