UP eggs to carry expiry date, date of laying from April 1 after fresh government order on food safety

Uttar Pradesh mandates eggs to carry date of laying and expiry from April 1, aiming to improve food safety, transparency, and help consumers identify fresh eggs easily.

Egg expiry date — (Representational image: AI generated)

Lucknow: As already known eggs are one of the most consumed protein foods, the UP government has announced to make the date of laying and expiry date compulsory on eggs sold in the state starting April 1. Eggs are often sold without any labels.

What does the government order say?

Issuing orders relating to the compulsory date of laying and expiry on eggs traded in UP, officials said every egg traded will be stamped with these two mandatory details to help buyers identify fresh eggs and refrain from purchasing stale ones. All poultry farmers, traders, retailers across Uttar Pradesh will have to mandatorily follow the order effective from April 1.

Also read: Modi government makes adequate arrangements for smooth supply of LPG, petrol, and diesel from these countries instead of Persian Gulf

Strict action against defaulters

If eggs are found being traded without these details they will be confiscated by authorities and destroyed. Also stamped with “not fit for human consumption” for trading purposes.

Add India.com as a Preferred Source

“There will be no relaxation after April 1 in enforcing the rule,” officials added.

Reason behind government order

Officials also cited selling of stale eggs as fresh in the local markets as the reason behind making expiry dates mandatory. Also eggs have high consumption therefore safety is priority for the government. Eggs remain fresh for about two weeks at room temperature and five weeks when stored under refrigeration.

But storing eggs for longer than that can lead to several health issues. With the order coming into effect, it will help address this issue.

Effect on poultry business in UP

The measure might affect poultry business in Uttar Pradesh owned by small traders and farmers as majority of them don’t stamp date on eggs and do not have proper storage facilities. Moreover traders also face the issue of insufficient cold storage units in the state for eggs preservation. According to sources, there is only one cold storage unit for eggs in the whole state.

Food safety: Coming ahead of monsoon season

Officials said while thanking traders for their cooperation that this order will increase transparency and trust among buyers. Purchasing eggs will now be similar to other food items which also have cut-offs. Consumers now will be more aware of what they consume while purchasing eggs.

Source link