To help with your purchasing decision, please see the table below which lists various organisations that certify free range egg producers and the standards that they set out (the information within the table has been verified by each of the certification bodies included).

	Australian Egg Corporation Assured	Humane Choice	ACO
criteria for birds to be called free range	birds are housed in sheds and have access to an outdoor range during daylight hours, once fully feathered (around 5-6 weeks)	all bi...

Cracking the Code

For eggs to be labelled free range, the Model Code of Practice says there should be a maximum of 1500 hens per hectare. But many commonly available "free range" brands do not adhere to this, with some brands keeping as many as 10,000 chooks per hectare.

"Many consumers are paying extra assuming hens are staying in the equivalent of a comfortable bed and breakfast, but instead they're stuck in a crowded backpacker hostel," CHOICE director of campaigns and communications Matt Le...