Laid In Britain, an egg assurance scheme which offers producers an alternative to the British Lion Scheme, has received endorsement and recognition from the Foods Standard Agency (FSA).
Eggs produced under the scheme are now deemed safe to be eaten by children, pregnant women and elderly people, either raw or lightly cooked or within foods containing them.
Laid In Britain, a UK egg-specific food safety and welfare assurance scheme by the United Kingdom Egg Producers Association (UKEPA), was formed in 2000 for producers who supply locally.
The assurance scheme seeks to offer farmers a 'real alternative' to the British Lion Scheme, which is operated by the British Egg Industry Council.
Chairman of UKEPA Adam Stratton said it was 'gratifying' to finally have the scheme recognised by the FSA.
“The extensive protection provided by the Laid In Britain scheme has built total customer confidence in the safety, quality and value of Laid in Britain eggs.
"We hope that the general public, retailers and our growing membership will continue to put their trust in the scheme.”
Avian vet David Spackman, one of the founders of the scheme added: “With the Laid In Britain mark, end users can be confident of buying safe, quality eggs that have been carefully produced on local farms.”
The scheme's members must comply with stringent health and safety regulations in the market, proving they are a credible source for Salmonella free eggs.
In addition to vaccinating all hens against Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, Laid In Britain also utilises a system called 'competitive exclusion', used as an additional method of disease control.
The code was revised recently to further enhance Salmonella controls.
