Egg sellers will need to foot a $30,000 bill if the new egg stamping standard is enforced, according to the Victorian government.
The standard requires that by November 2012 all Australian eggs will need to be individually stamped, with information concerning the place of origin.
The individual stamping of eggs had been proposed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and then sanctioned by state, territory and federal ministers in May and made law on May 26.
However, the Victorian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh has requested a review of the standard, claiming it is, according to National Nine News, “flawed, illogical and will threaten the viability of small-scale egg farms”.
Mr Walsh predicts that sellers would need to spend an estimated $30,000 to acquire the stamping equipment and then face further costs for its maintenance.
In a statement on the issue, Mr Walsh said, "This requirement is going to have an adverse effect on the profitability of food producers without achieving any meaningful gains".
The new standard was developed in response to the large number of foodborne illness outbreaks suspected of being linked to eggs or egg products, particularly cracked and dirty eggs which have been a key cause of contamination.
Many cases of illness have been associated with uncooked or lightly-cooked foods containing contaminated raw egg, for example sauces and desserts.
FSANZ estimates there are about 12,800 cases of egg-related salmonellosis per year in Australia, costing $44 million, and that the number of cases is rising.
Mr Walsh said the majority of food safety issues in Victoria were due to poor handling and hygiene in homes and food premises, particularly associated with the consumption of foods containing raw or undercooked eggs.
"These guidelines are illogical and are unlikely to provide better traceability than what already exists through sales records and package labelling," Mr Walsh said.
"Egg shells are thrown straight in the bin or compost and are rarely traceable by the time a food-related illness has been reported and an association with eggs has been established."
Mr Walsh said the Victorian Coalition Government was committed to eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic interference and reducing red tape on Victoria's food and fibre producers to allow them to get on with the job of feeding our state.
Image courtesy of www.fwi.co.uk