Easter in focus: cage egg scandal brings Austrian food into trouble!

Easter in focus: cage egg scandal brings Austrian food into trouble!

In the run -up to Easter, Austria is increasingly discussed in the use of cage eggs in food. The focus is on the criticism of organizations, especially NGOs and agricultural interest groups, which make alarming claims about the origin of eggs. According to ots.at , millions of cage eggs, including from Ukraine, in domestic food. This leads to concern about transparency in egg production and its labeling.

Austria has a remarkable level of self -sufficiency among chicken eggs of around 90 %, with the majority of these eggs being sold as a fresh egg. Nevertheless, it turns out that the level of self -care for eggs used in food production is lower. Forms of husbandry such as organic, outdoor and soil husbandry play a crucial role here. The labeling of food is subject to strict regulations in the EU, which means that consumers often do not find a clear origin or form of posture of the eggs used on the packaging.

The influence of the legal regulations

Since 2020, products with national successes have been obliged to provide the origin of the primary ingredient if it does not come from Austria. Now more and more manufacturers voluntarily mark the origin and posture of the eggs used to offer consumers transparency. In the event of an indication that only affects the form of husbandry, manufacturers are forced to buy a certain percentage of EU goods.

statistics show that Austria imported around 252 million chicken eggs in 2024, which represents a decline of 2.6 % compared to the previous year. These eggs come exclusively from EU countries. In addition, the imports of liquid egg yolk rose by 5 % and dried egg yolk by 39.9 %, although the majority also came from the EU here. In contrast, Austria exported 692 tons of dried egg yolk in the same year, which even exceeded the import quantity.

The forms of husbandry in detail

In Austria, around 7.2 million laying hens were held in 2023, spread over various forms of husbandry: around 56 % are in floor posture, 31 % in free-range and 13 % in organic posture. The attitude in cage has been banned in Austria since January 1, 2020. Compared to other EU countries, it can be seen that Austria is preceded by laying hens: 13.2 % of the eggs come from biological attitude, while in the EU this value is only 6.8 %.

The requirements for local laying hen owners are high. Criteria such as genetic engineering-free feeding, the use of Danube soy and no beak treatments must be met. A comprehensive documentation of animal health takes place via the Poultry Health Data, and the eggs are marked directly on the producer. The traceability of the eggs is supported by the uniform labeling in the EU, which extends to the laying operation.

consumers also have the option of being able to understand the origin of eggs through the “Quick Egg Check”. This tool has been used regularly by around 360,000 people since 2016, especially at Easter. More and more consumers are interested in the origin of their food and use opportunities for tracking.

The food industry in Austria is an important industry, consisting of 200 companies and 27,000 employees, which generate a production volume of around 12 billion euros annually. The use of eggs in food production is therefore not only a question of sustainability and traceability, but also a central economic matter.