A DOREEN-BASED egg business has had to pay $39,600 in penalties for false and misleading claims about its egg products.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged Doreen Egg Aust Pty Ltd sold eggs that were labelled as ‘free range’, even though the hens did not have access to an outdoor range, which falls under Free Range Egg Labelling Information Standard. Doreen Egg admitted this.
Just under 9000 cartons – 8600 in total – of the wrongly labelled eggs were sold across May and June 2025.
The ACCC also alleged that Doreen Egg had sold eggs in cartons that displayed the Australian Eggs Ltd logo, in which Doreen Egg did not have sponsorship or approval from the organisation. Doreen Egg also admits this.
“Consumers often seek out and pay a premium for free-range eggs, so they need to be confident the eggs meet the legal definition of being ‘free range’,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.
“Egg producers must ensure their farming practices match what their labels tell consumers.”
Doreen Egg has since committed to four actions to avoid future mislabelling, informing consumers about its misrepresentations, independently reviewing its compliance processes, updating packaging and traceabillity systems and conducting further staff training.
“Our guidance is intended to give producers certainty during a disease outbreak, but it does not change the requirement to comply with the free-range standard when no housing order applies,” Mr Keogh said.