The UK government has declared that criminals found responsible for re-packing eggs with fake ‘best before’ dates have been stopped and prosecuted, following investigations carried out by Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) inspectors.
The prosecutions, which a government spokesperson said took place between January and March 2025, involved multiple offences by different companies under the egg marketing regulations.
These included the unlawful re-packing of eggs with altered or extended best before dates and breaches of required labelling standards.
The government spokesperson confirmed that on March 31, 2025, Phillip Hoyland of Summerley Top Farm in Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
His charges arose following routine inspections carried out by APHA egg marketing inspectors (EMI), and a subsequent investigation by he Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) counter fraud and investigation team.
Hoyland was subsequently sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months.
On March 24, 2025, Barradale Eggs Ltd of Ashford, Kent, was prosecuted at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court and found guilty of one offence. It was ordered to pay a fine of £466 and costs of £85.
The case followed an inspection by an APHA EMI, who identified that a batch of eggs had been re-packed and the original ‘best before’ date extended—contrary to egg marketing legislation.
The third business to be prosecuted, Field Farm Eggs, based in South Newbald, East Yorkshire, was prosecuted at Hull Magistrates’ Court on February 24 2025, following inspections conducted by an APHA EMI in December 2023.
The inspections there revealed that a batch of class A eggs had been re-packed and the ‘best before’ date unlawfully extended. The defendant was found guilty of two offences and fined £1,000, with a victim surcharge of £400 and costs of £85, the government spokesperson confirmed.
Holyfield Farm Fresh Eggs Ltd, based in north London, was the fourth business to be prosecuted by APHA under similiar charges.
It pleaded guilty to three charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on January 20, 2025 following inspections by an APHA EMI which found the original ‘best before’ date had been extended by four days.
The court issued a fine of £2,000 (reduced from £3,000 due to an early guilty plea) and awarded £200 for prosecution costs to Holyfield, the government spokesperson stated.
Labelling standards
Head of England field delivery with APHA, Aled Edwards said: “It’s essential that consumers can trust the eggs they purchase are fresh, safe to eat, and clearly and accurately labelled.
“These cases demonstrate our robust enforcement procedures; across the country we have 35 EMIs who work in our field delivery teams and have the important role of ensuring regulations in the egg industry are adhered to.
“I welcome these sentences from the courts and hope they will act as a deterrent to others.”
Every egg packaging centre, regardless of scale, must comply with all relevant legislation, including comprehensive environmental and animal welfare rules.
According to the government, the cases exemplify the collective action by APHA, Defra and the EMIs to prevent offences which breach the required labelling standards of eggs.
These high food labelling standards must be safegaurded to ensure that consumers have confidence in the food that they buy.
The government has advised anyone who has serious concerns about the welfare of livestock to report issues immediately to the APHA so that urgent action can be taken.
