Sunday 17 September 2017

Is nothing sacred?



As usual on a Saturday morning, yesterday I went to our tiny local market to buy wine, eggs, and bread (I showed the above picture a while back).

On delivery of my half dozen eggs, the nice man explained to me that as from today (yesterday) a new law says that each egg has to be stamped.


As far as I can see it says 1FRdou01. What this means is that they are free range (1), they come from France (FR), they come from this location (dou), and this is the number of the hen house they live in (01, I imagine my man only has one hen house).

It rather saddens me to see these red ink letters all over my free range, locally produced, eggs. Why can't these meddling bloody bureaucrats just leave things alone. 

It may be just another minor liberty taken away from the small producer and his client; but the meddling EU 'politicians' (I use the word cautiously) will soon make sure that no-one, and no activity, escapes their bloody clutches.

I much preferred my eggs un-inked.




32 comments:

  1. Absolutely right.

    There's no facet of our lives they don't want control over.

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    Replies
    1. This really depressed me yesterday; what on earth is the point? If 'traceability' is the only reason, it's not reason enough.

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  2. It's been like that for years here, the only people who don't have to stamp eggs are people selling direct from the farm gate - unless that's changed too!
    Sad and depressing

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    Replies
    1. This is just a little guy who sells a few farm eggs for pin-money. It seems a bit like over-kill to me.

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  3. Here they have to stamp the expire date of the eggs,also in red.

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    Replies
    1. This is just to know who has produced the eggs; no dates involved. On shop bought eggs they have a use-by date etc.

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  4. Indeed, they just want to control EVERYTHING! I am glad I live in Belgiu, not because of the eggs, but because of the obligation to give 11 more vaccinations to new-born babies... I would get mad, I am afraid!

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    1. One has to wonder what's next on their list. My youngest son is with you on the question of vaccination; personally I'm not too sure. I just read that quite a few nasty infantile illnesses are on the increase in Europe.

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  5. I don't believe anybody under the age of 40 cares and the 20 year olds certainly don't. We are in their hands in the UK and like nobody believed IS were coming nobody believes the young are coming.

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    1. I don't suppose 20 year old's would notice any difference. Do 20 year old's buy eggs?

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  6. Yesterday I bought some eggs at the farmers market. I boiled two of them this morning for my breakfast. They had some small fluffy feathers on the shells but no mysterious red markings.

    The latest crackpot and dangerous idea is that all EU countries join the Schengen and convert their currencies to the Euro.
    Next logical step, in about 20 years(?), is the knockout punch: Withdraw the Euro banknotes. Now they have you by your 'eggs'.

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    Replies
    1. I believe this egg marking business is an EU directive..... keep watching your eggs. Schengen is responsible for terrorists being able to move around at will, it might be better to scrap it.

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    2. They won't scrap it. Junker, complete Schengen is his dream and your nightmare, will be around for another 2 years, and he says "the wind is in your (sic) sails".

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  7. You probably prefer your women uninked too. I remember our eggs used to be stamped with a small square blue stamp. I wonder what that was about. It was years ago. There is a problem here with caged eggs being sold under the name of free range, so perhaps stamping might help with that. I notice an earlier mention of vaccines and for some vacs, it is about herd immunity. The science on childhood vaccination is very clear and unambiguous. Please get your babies and children vaccinated. http://highriser.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/check-your-eggs.html

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    1. Back in the UK it was a little Lion stamped on our eggs; I'm not sure exactly what it meant, maybe it was just to say 'British'.

      I am pro vaccination. If parents want to risk their health OK, but they shouldn't play with the lives of their children.

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  8. Replies
    1. Totally. Have you bought any yet?

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    2. We only bought wine this week!

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    3. I like your style, Sue!

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    4. Sue, I bought 10 litres, and it's almost gone! We had a crowd over last night!

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  9. here, if sold in trays, they don't have to be stamped; in boxes they do, as far as I know

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  10. Replies
    1. I'm a little surprised that the old boy didn't tell them to eff off.

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  11. Didn't we once have something like a little lion stamped on our eggs. I agree with you that it is all so unnecessary Cro - just another of those useless pieces of work that show in statistics as another person employed.

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    1. You can just picture office blocks in Brussels filled with people trying to think-up the next annoying bit of legislation.

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  12. It really is such a shame that all the small producers are being squeezed out. I remember when we first came, there were people selling their excess produce: a few cabbages, some honey, maybe a sack of walnuts. That's all gone now of course, because unless you are registered, it's not allowed. We have always kept a few sheep for our own use, but now we have to be registered, they have to be tagged, and it all costs money - always a minimum amount even though we only keep three sheep. We like a bit of meat for the freezer, plus to get the field mowed, but sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. I wouldn't want ink on my food either - we also keep a few chickens for our use.

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    1. I remember when we still had chicken, anyone with more than a dozen had to register. When there's no-one left in the countryside they'll wonder what happened!

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  13. I bet the poor egg seller had to pay an extortionate fee for his stamp, not to mention filling out screeds of paperwork. A friend of mine makes delicious cheese from a herd of - wait for it - three cows, which she sells from the door and from one or two shops. She had to pay the same bureaucratic fees as the giant producers. Needless to say she no longer sells her cheeses - she can't afford it!

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    Replies
    1. That's a classic example Judith. It won't be long before no-one bothers. Already we can't see who's going to take-over most local small farms; too much bureaucratic interference.

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