What does Free Range Mean?

In Australia, the definition of a free range egg has now been established and the outcome has been disappointing for both producers and consumers.  The long battle over who gets to put the words free range on their egg carton, and the new 'information standard' that does not require the hens to actually go outside,  has damaged the integrity of the term to the extent that genuine free range farmers have distanced themselves and now call their eggs Pastured.  Pastured better defines the production system that free range was originally based on and meets consumer expectations for ethically raised hens.

Eggs from hens that have no legal requirement to even go outside, and that are stocked at 10,000 birds per hectare, are permitted to be labelled as free range under the new free range egg standard.

There is no requirement for access to pasture under the new standard.  Hens that do go outside in these intensive free range systems are usually presented with a dusty and barren yard.

The hens pictured to the right live under conditions that are not much different to barn raised or cage free.