Egg marketing inspection
Information for egg producers about inspections the Animal and Plant Health Agency carries out on eggs, production facilities and records.
Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales
Who gets inspected
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) inspects all premises that apply for egg production, packaging or wholesale registration.
What gets inspected
APHA inspects:
- eggs to confirm 鈥榗lass鈥� and size or weight category
- production premises to confirm 鈥榝ree range鈥�
APHA checks your records for:
- Salmonella National Control Programme
- density of egg production
- flock mortality
- welfare-related information
Find out more about the role of egg marketing inspectors.
Time and length
How often APHA inspects you depends on how compliant you are:
- twice a year for non-compliant premises
- once a year if you鈥檙e compliant
- once every 2 years if you鈥檙e a small, low-risk packing premises
Inspections for packers take 3 to 4 hours. Inspections for producers take an hour and a half.
All inspections are unannounced.
What happens next
If you鈥檙e issued with a contravention notice you鈥檒l get a follow up inspection. If you鈥檙e a repeat offender APHA will refer you to Defra Investigations Services (DIS).
If you break a compliance notice that you鈥檙e issued with, you鈥檒l be referred to DIS.