NEWS STORY : Egg Packers Prosecuted for Fraudulent ‘Best Before’ Date Alterations

STORY

A series of prosecutions have been brought against egg packers across England for illegally altering ‘best before’ dates on eggs, following investigations by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Between January and March 2025, multiple offences under the Egg Marketing Regulations were identified, including unlawful re-packing of eggs with extended ‘best before’ dates and breaches of required labelling standards.

Key Cases:

Phillip Hoyland, of Summerley Top Farm, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to fraud charges on 31 March 2025. He received a 24-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

Barradale Eggs Ltd, based in Ashford, Kent, was found guilty on 24 March 2025 of re-packing eggs with extended ‘best before’ dates. The company was fined £466 and ordered to pay £85 in costs.

Field Farm Eggs, from South Newbald, East Yorkshire, was prosecuted on 24 February 2025 for similar offences. The company was fined £1,000, with a £400 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.

Holyfield Farm Fresh Eggs Ltd, located in north London, pleaded guilty to three charges on 20 January 2025. The court imposed a £2,000 fine (reduced from £3,000 due to an early guilty plea) and awarded £200 for prosecution costs.

Aled Edwards, Head of England Field Delivery at APHA, stated:

“It’s essential that consumers can trust the eggs they purchase are fresh, safe to eat, and clearly and accurately labelled. These cases demonstrate our robust enforcement procedures; across the country we have 35 EMIs who work in our field delivery teams and have the important role of ensuring regulations in the egg industry are adhered to. I welcome these sentences from the courts and hope they will act as a deterrent to others.”