From April 1, UP egg producers must stamp expiry date

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh govt has made it mandatory for egg producers to stamp each egg with its expiry date from April 1. The eggs will also carry the date on which they were laid, reports Neha Lalchandani. Traders and farmers who do not adhere to this rule will either have their produce destroyed, or the eggs will be stamped “not fit for human consumption,” animal husbandry dept officers said. An egg is safe for consumption within two weeks of laying if stored at an ambient temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius, or within five weeks if stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. As per Food Safety and Drug Administration rules, eggs cannot be kept in cold storage with vegetables as they need different temperatures. There are only two cold storages for eggs, one each in Agra and Jhansi. Additional chief secretary, animal husbandry and dairy, Mukesh Meshram said, “It was found that in many cases rules were not being adhered to. Consumers were also unaware of it.”