WattAgNet: Italian authorities' seizure of illegal eggs welcomed by egg trade association

 

 

Release Date: 12-3-2014

 

The seizure of illegal eggs and meat by the Italian authorities has been welcomed by the Italian meat and egg industry association, Unaitalia.

 

Authorities seized 30,000 eggs from a poultry farm near the southern city of Bari and 1,000 kg of unlabeled meat from a butcher's shop in Altamura in Italy. The meat and eggs were ready for sale, but they lacked necessary documentation detailing their origin, date of production and "best before" data. The two companies concerned were fined EUR4,000 (USD5,558).

 

The action was welcomed by the president of Unaitalia's egg committee, Ruggerro Moretti, who said, "Initiatives, such as these, help the egg market to overcome the current crisis and protect it from goods that are not traceable."

 

He continued: "Initial data on table egg production for 2013 show a contraction of more than 2 percent on the year before [2012], while imports have risen enormously by in excess of 108 percent. Because of this, it is essential to protect national production from fraud. We hope that these controls will be the first of many."