A SHOWDOWN is looming over what constitutes a "free-range" egg at a national egg industry forum tomorrow.
While free-range standards are not on the agenda for the Brisbane meeting, free-range producers intend to force a discussion over the issue.
Free Range Poultry Association Queensland president Ivy Inwood said the Australian Egg Corporation, which convened the meeting, had not put the issue on the meeting's agenda because "they don't want to have a roaring fight".
Friction between the AEC and free-range farmers came to a head last week when Ms Inwood accused AEC communications manager Jaqueline Baptista of undermining the free-range industry to help out the "big boys" - massive cage egg producers on the AEC board.
"I think the bomb will go off," Ms Inwood said.
"It (free-range standards) will come up whether they like it or not - it has to be discussed now."
Ms Inwood repeated her call for a free-range definition to be made law: "Self-regulation is just a joke."
Free Range Farmers Association secretary Dianne Moore said it was "important the industry gets it right".
"Most buyers of free-range eggs expect that the hens are not de-beaked . . . the AEC's Egg Corp Assured program is an excellent program . . . but its standards for free-range production fall well short of community expectations," she said.
"There is no need for birds to be de-beaked on a real free-range farm with low stocking densities because cannibalism is not a problem, despite comments made by an egg corporation employee."
Ms Inwood said research currently being undertaken had showed no pecking, cannibalism or disease on 19 genuine free-range farms.
The Weekly Times attempted to contact AEC managing director James Kellaway but was told he was on leave.
Meanwhile Free Range Farmers Association accreditation officer Ron Moore has confirmed a request for data regarding the nutritional value of eggs, which FRF members partly paid for through the chick levy, was denied by the AEC.
FRF understood the data indicated free-range eggs had higher vitamin D content than cage and barn-laid eggs.
