Following extensive consultation with industry and consumer stakeholders, Australia’s State and Territory Consumer Affairs Ministers agreed to the introduction of an information standard on March 31 this year.

After years of confusion, consumers and farmers have finally received a clear, legal definition of "free range eggs".

“This information standard will give consumers more information about the ‘free-range’ eggs available on supermarket shelves, making it simpler to compare brands,” Mr McCormack said.

“It will also remove uncertainty faced by producers who choose to label their eggs ‘free-range’.”

The information standard will require eggs labelled ‘free-range’ to have been laid by hens which had meaningful and regular access to the outdoors and with an outdoor stocking density of 10,000 hens, or less, per hectare.

The stocking density will need to be prominently displayed on the packaging.

Mr McCormack said the Federal Government is focused on achieving a balance to ensure consumers can access better information about eggs on supermarket shelves, while complying producers are protected from claims of misleading or deceptive conduct. 

“Feedback from stakeholders helped form the draft and the government encourages further consultation to ensure Australia’s egg labelling laws reflect producer and consumer opinions,” he said.

“Hundreds of submissions and comments were received in response to the policy design public consultation earlier this year.”

The release of the information standard draft text will give stakeholders another opportunity to comment on the technical aspects of the text.

“I encourage all interested parties to make a submission,” Mr McCormack said.

“It is important that both consumers and business benefit from the clarity the information standard will provide.”

The consultation paper is available on the Treasury website (http://www.treasury.gov.au/ConsultationsandReviews/Consultations/2016/Free-Range-Egg-Labelling-Information-Standard). Submissions can be lodged until December 9, 2016.

However, the standard that will allow the outdoor stocking density of 10,000 hens, or less, per hectare, is a loss for consumer and animal welfare advocates who support the voluntary Model Code of Practice, published by the CSIRO, which sets the limit at 1500 hens per hectare, unless the hens are regularly rotated.

In an earlier article by The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello said the new national information standard will force egg producers to declare the outdoor stocking density on packaging, whether 1500, 5000 or 10,000 hens per hectare.

"Consumers can now decide, 'Should I buy free range eggs at a lower density of 1500 or a higher density of 10,000?' The point is, consumers can now decide," he said.