British Lion Quality
What does the British Lion Quality mark symbolise?
The British Lion Quality mark on egg shells and egg boxes means that the eggs have
been produced to the highest standards of food safety.
The British Lion Quality Code of Practice was launched in 1998 and includes compulsory
vaccination against Salmonella Enteritidis of all pullets destined for Lion egg-producing
flocks, independent auditing, improved traceability of eggs and a “best-before”
date stamped on the shell and pack, as well as on-farm and packing station hygiene
controls.
The British Lion Quality mark, which is a registered trademark, can only be used
by subscribers to the BEIC
on eggs which have been produced in accordance with
UK and EU law and the British
Lion Quality Code of Practice.
Approximately 85% of UK eggs are now produced
to British Lion Quality standards.
Since its introduction in 1998, the British Lion Quality mark has been extremely
successful so much so that, in 2001 a Government committee (the Advisory Committee
on the Microbiological Safety of Food) produced a report highlighting the effectiveness
of poultry vaccination in reducing human Salmonella cases by half.
This has since been reinforced by the Food Standards Agency which has confirmed
the success of the UK egg industry in
overcoming Salmonella in eggs. In its survey, published in 2004, it tested more
than 28,000 UK-produced eggs and no Salmonella was found inside any of them.