Germans probe deliberate breaking of rules over organic egg production

Along with horsemeat in their beef, German consumers may have been eating fake organic and free range eggs.

About 160 poultry farms are being investigated by health officials for deliberately breaking the strict rules governing the production of eggs.

The investigation centres on Lower Saxony, where farmers are suspected of wrongly selling eggs produced by hens kept in overcrowded conditions under organic or free range labels.

German agriculture minister Ilse Aigner said: “If the accusations are found to be true, then we are talking of fraud on a grand scale, fraud against consumers, but also fraud against the many organic farmers in Germany who work honestly”.

The eggs cost up to 10 cent each more than those produced under standard poultry farming conditions.

Prosecutors in the city of Oldenburg said they had evidence that, over a number of years, poultry farmers in northern Germany — some of them on organic farms — had systematically violated rules for the production of free range eggs.

Farmers are accused of keeping more hens than permitted by free range rules.

Health officials are blamed for relying on written information submitted by farmers, instead of leaving their offices to do spot-checks. If found guilty, poultry farmers could face hefty fines or even prison sentences.