WattAgNet: New regulation on egg labeling in Nicaragua

Written December 28, 2015 By Jackie Linden
From January 2016, eggs in Nicaragua will need to identify the region and farm where they have been produced

Eggs marketed in Nicaragua must carry a label from the start of 2016 with information indicating the area of the country and farm which it comes from, reports Central American Data. 

The measure is based on Resolution No. 14-10 published in the official newspaper, ‘La Gaceta’, according to the Association of Small and Medium Poultry Producers of Nicaragua (Apemepan). The association’s director explained that the regulation aims to tackle egg smuggling while fostering competition between Nicaraguan egg producers.

A 6-digit code given by the Institute for Protection and Animal Health (IPSA) identifies the country and region where the egg came from, according to Felix Rosales, Apemepan president.

A recent report in Central American Data included a forecast of Nicaraguan production at 600 million eggs in 2015.

Minister of Agriculture, Edward Centeno, attributed the growth of the country’s poultry sector to its freedom from avian influenza and quality products.

FAOstat puts hen shell egg production in Nicaragua in 2013 – the most recent year for which figures are published – at 30,701 metric tons. Output had been rising steadily there since 2005, when it stood at a little over 20,000 metric tons.