regulations for selling eating eggs

Does anyone know what the regulations are for selling quail eggs for eating? Someone mentioned that they should be infertile. Is this true?

Also how many days do you put in the "best before" and "use by" dates?

I'm thinking of supplying my local shops and market with my surplus, but don't want to fall foul of the law.

Hi Andy,

I sell eggs for eating through shops. Upto about 6 weeks ago everything was well, until the "powers that be" told shop owners they were not allowed to sell eggs in boxes that have no Sell by date on them.

How do you put a sell by date on them without it being lost? Well it's nearly £30 for a labeling gun, plus £xxx? for the right labels. Bit pricey just to sell a few dozen boxes of eggs a week.

I saw some boxes on one quail site that had labels that wrapped around the boxes, so I copied the idea and now have had them designed with name, address use by dates, and a few other intresting facts.They cost me £22 per 1000 bands. These are now accepted as saleable.

So get on your computor and design some, you can get three bands from a sheet of A4.You'll need a paper cutter so the edges are neat and tidy. Also a date stamper a bit of sellotape and away you go.

I put 3 weeks on my boxes (use by date) and sell mine for £1.30 per dozen.In London, I would think you would get more for them.I don't think there is any laws about selling quails eggs, as there is not much demand so very few producers on large scale.

The thing is..... if you sell a quality product at the right price they are going to sell, people will talk to other people and you'll sell more. I always make sure the eggs are collected as soon as they are layed so they are clean.

I doubt if you'll become rich, but selling a few dozen each week helps to cut the food bills down.

Derek.

thanks Derek,

I already thought of making a few sleeves with ordinary paper. There are a few "posh" Sunday markets and shops I was thinking of selling thru.

Should I just put "sell by" of 1 1/2 week from lay (what ever that date is) and consume by 3 weeks from lay (again appropriate date) ?

I'm not in surplus at the moment, but that will probably change with the rascals growing quickly.

Andy

p.s. I was hoping I could use the extra income to help pay for some of the electricity bills this winter. Otherwise I'm going to have to find a job back in the City if it's going to be as expensive as they predict.

Hi Andy,

All you need to put on it is Keep Refrigerated and Best before What they are, producers name and address to keep everything legal and above board.

Derek.

I made a few enquires when i started selling my eggs to a very large butcher chain i belive legaly you only have to put a sell by date. I use to put 14 days from the date i collected them up, however recently i have increased this to 18 days based on the company they used to use "fayregame i think" put 20 days on.

I bought a ticket gun and USE BY tickets tickets are dead cheap gun was like 50 pounds i think but in long run its very quick and easy to read "i belive a hand written date is not allowed"

Another option i tried and have here but dont use is i went to www.vistaprint.co.uk and ordered a load of stuff free you just pay post, one item i did was a custom ink print stamp on it says

Corturnix Quail Eggs
Laid ON
Use By.

hope that gives you some ideas.

Did a bit of digging and basically Quail eggs are not covered by the egg sale regulations, and you can sell them to whoever you want, they need to have a sell by date and a use by date on, the sell by date can be no more than 21 days after lay, and the use by date 7 days after this

Thanks for that. I have made some labels as per Derek's brilliant suggestion (A4 sheets) with a little picture of one of my quail.

I thought it an excellent idea to as he suggested to also put 'Keep Refrigerated' as I was concerned about fluctuating temperatures in shops.

I have just started selling mine to Harrods (the village shop) so couldn't risk anything 'going wrong' as its a small village.

The Best Before date too is good.. I am only putting 2 weeks from the date they were laid - again being overly cautious.

I have to admit, making the effort to put the wrap around label on them - does make them look very professional and attracts the eye to them. I also made an A4 laminted poster, with pictures from my blog showing the quails eating fresh cress, with eggs in a group in the background.

I am only selling small amounts - a dozen a day - but it all helps to pay for their upkeep doesn't it.