Can I sell eggs in Ireland?

Do I need a license to sell eggs in Ireland?

The Regulations take one kind of sale out of themselves. The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 140 of 2009), reg. 2(3), say "These Regulations do not apply to eggs sold directly by a producer to the final consumer in accordance with part A.I.2 of Annex XIV of the Council Regulation provided that, if the producer has a flock of more than 50 hens, the eggs are marked with the producer code or, if the producer has a flock of up to 50 hens, the name and address of the producer are indicated at the point of sale". A "final consumer" is "the ultimate consumer of a foodstuff who will not use the food as part of any food business operation or activity" (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Art. 2). The Council Regulation is Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, repealed by Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Art. 230(1): "Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 is repealed". Its Annex XIV, Part A, point I(2), and Part VI of Annex VII to Regulation 1308/2013, point I(2), have the same words: a Member State may exempt, "with the exception of point III(3)", eggs sold directly to the final consumer by the producer "on the production site, or" "in a local public market or by door-to-door selling in the region of production of the Member State concerned", and "Where this exemption is applied, no quality and weight grading may be used". The Regulations define none of the three places (#1071).

The 50 hens sit differently in the two texts. The Regulations, reg. 2(3), attach the condition to every direct sale, on the production site, door to door or at a market. The Union text attaches it to a local public market only: point III(3) says eggs "sold by the producer to the final consumer on a local public market in the region of production of the Member State concerned shall be marked in accordance with point 1", the producer code, and "Member States may exempt from this requirement producers with up to 50 laying hens, provided that the name and address of the producer are indicated at the point of sale". We do not reconcile them. For a sale on the production site the Regulations ask the producer code of a producer with more than 50 hens, and the Union text, which marks only at a market, asks none (#1069). The Food Safety Authority's page follows the Regulations: "For egg producers with more than 50 hens, regardless of the point of sale of the eggs, obtaining a unique egg producer code from DAFM is mandatory." Ask the Department.

Registering the premises is a separate matter, and every keeper's. The Control on Places where Poultry are Kept Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 114 of 2014), reg. 3(1), say "A person shall not have in his or her possession or under his or her control, buy or sell poultry unless the land or premises where the poultry is kept is entered in the register maintained under this Regulation", and reg. 2 defines poultry as "birds reared or kept in captivity for the production of meat, eggs or other products"; reg. 7 makes reg. 3(1) "a penal provision". They name no number of birds. The Department's Poultry Register page says the same: "Anyone who keeps poultry in Ireland must register their premises with the Department of Agriculture", from "large commercial poultry holdings to premises with only 1 or 2 birds", and the Food Safety Authority says "All egg producers in Ireland, regardless of the flock size, must register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as keepers of poultry to obtain a poultry flock number". A registered keeper keeps "a daily record of" mortalities, "egg production", food and water intake, and sales of eggs for breeding, which "shall be maintained for 2 years" (regs. 3(6) and 4). The Department's PR1 form asks the type of activity, from "Own Consumption ie solely for consumption by persons on the holding" to "Commercial ie Placing of live poultry, meat or eggs on the market (selling)", and whether the flock is an "Egg Producer" or sells at a "Local Market".

A producer code and an egg production unit are the Department's too, and no one source says who needs which. The Department's page on registering an egg production unit says "Producers using these terms and farming method indicators must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and comply with relevant legislation", the terms being 'eggs from caged hens', 'free range eggs', 'barn eggs' or 'organic eggs'. The Regulations, reg. 3(6), say "A person shall not market eggs described or labelled as" free range or barn "unless the eggs have been produced under and in accordance with an approval under Regulation 4", and the Authority's page says "Egg producers with 50 hens or fewer, who sell eggs using protected terms or farming methods such as" free range, barn or organic "they must apply to DAFM for a unique egg producer code which must be stamped on the eggs". Reg. 2(3) takes a direct sale out of "These Regulations", reg. 3(6) with them, and whether a farm selling directly and calling its eggs free range needs the approval, no source we read says (#1070). Ask the Department.

Registering a food business is another question again. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Art. 6(2), says "every food business operator shall notify the appropriate competent authority, in the manner that the latter requires, of each establishment under its control that carries out any of the stages of production, processing and distribution of food, with a view to the registration of each such establishment". Art. 1(2)(c) says the Regulation "shall not apply to" "the direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of primary products to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer", and Art. 1(3) that "Member States shall establish, under national law, rules governing the activities referred to in paragraph 2(c)". Ireland's are the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 22 of 2020), reg. 2(3)(b): "Regulation No 852/2004 and Regulation No 853/2004 do not apply to a primary producer engaged in" "direct supply of eggs from a flock of hens (gallus gallus domesticus) or quail not exceeding 50 birds, or a flock of ducks or geese not exceeding 20 birds, to the final consumer or to retail establishments supplying directly to the final consumer, located no more than 100 kilometres from the production site". The Authority's page on hygiene puts it the same way for an Irish producer. Above 50 birds, or past 100 kilometres, those rules apply: reg. 4(1) says "a person shall not operate" "a food business unless his or her name, the name and address of the establishment and the nature of the food business operated in the establishment" is entered in a register, and reg. 4(2)(a)(i) that an application for a primary producer "shall be in a form and contain any information that the Minister may require". The Department's PR1 form has a declaration for "registration of a food and feed business under SI 22 of 2020" "where applicable". But reg. 2(2)(a) also says the Regulations "do not apply to a primary producer or other food or feed business engaged in" "retail sale or supply directly to a final consumer except" "if the sale or supply is from an establishment registered or approved under these Regulations", and no source we read says how that reads for a farm of more than 50 birds selling at the gate. We cannot say whether such a sale needs a registration (#1052). Ask the Department or the Authority.

Last, which egg marketing text applies, and whether the Regulations still reach it. The Regulations were made "for the purpose of giving effect to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007" and to "Commission Regulation (EC) No. 589/2008 of 23 June 2008", and both are repealed: Regulation 1308/2013, Art. 230(1), "Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 is repealed", and Delegated Regulation 2023/2465, Art. 25, "Regulation (EC) No 589/2008 is repealed", with references to it "construed as references to this Regulation and to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2466". The Food Safety Authority's page on egg legislation lists as the EU legislation Regulation 1308/2013, Delegated Regulation 2023/2465 "repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 589/2008", Delegated Regulation 2023/2464 and Implementing Regulation 2023/2466, and the 2009 Regulations as national legislation. So this page reads Part VI of Annex VII to Regulation 1308/2013 (point III(2) is replaced from 8 November 2024 by Delegated Regulation 2023/2464, which says "The marking of eggs in accordance with point 1 shall take place at the production site"), Delegated Regulation 2023/2465 and Implementing Regulation 2023/2466. The Irish Statute Book, in its table of effects updated to 17 September 2026, shows the 2009 Regulations "Not affected", and the later egg instrument, S.I. No. 307 of 2024, is the European Union (Marketing Standards for Poultry and Hatching Eggs) Regulations 2024, made for Commission Regulation (EC) No 617/2008 and naming neither 589/2008 nor 2023/2465. The 2009 Regulations' offences, reg. 15(1), are a contravention of "Annex XIV.A of the Council Regulation" and of Articles of the Commission Regulation, both repealed, and no source we read says whether they reach the 2023 Articles. We settle neither (#1063). Ask the Department.

Source: The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009, regs. 2, 3, 4 and 15, Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, Annex XIV, Part A, Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII, Part VI, and Article 230, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2464, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Articles 2 and 25, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2466, Irish Statute Book: table of effects of Statutory Instruments, updated to 17 September 2026, The European Union (Marketing Standards for Poultry and Hatching Eggs) Regulations 2024, The Control on Places where Poultry are Kept Regulations 2014, regs. 2, 3, 4 and 7, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Poultry Register, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Application for Registration of a Poultry Premises (PR1), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Information Note for Applicants for Registration of a Poultry Holding, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Application for Registration of an Egg Production Unit, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Producing and selling eggs, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Egg Legislation, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Hygiene for eggs, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Articles 1 and 6, The European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020, regs. 2 and 4, The European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, reg. 2 and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Competent Authorities.

How many eggs can I sell without a license in Ireland?

The lines in the sources are in hens or birds and in kilometres, not in eggs or dozens, and no source we read limits the eggs a small flock may sell. The Regulations, reg. 2(3), speak of "a flock of more than 50 hens" and "a flock of up to 50 hens". The Food and Feed Hygiene Regulations 2020, reg. 2(3)(b), speak of "a flock of hens (gallus gallus domesticus) or quail not exceeding 50 birds", for a supply "located no more than 100 kilometres from the production site", and the Control of Salmonella Regulations 2024, reg. 3(a), take out "a primary producer engaged in the direct supply of eggs from a flock of hens not exceeding 50 birds" "located no more than 100 kilometres from the flock". The Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2010, reg. 6(1), say Part 3, on laying hens, "applies to premises where there are 350 or more laying hens". The 50 is at exactly 50 in all four: up to 50 and not exceeding 50 both take in a flock of 50, and the Authority's pages, "50 hens or fewer" and "more than 50 hens", agree. The sources do not put it on the same sales: the Regulations, reg. 2(3), put the 50 hens on every direct sale, and the Union text, point III(3) of Part VI of Annex VII to Regulation 1308/2013, on eggs "sold by the producer to the final consumer on a local public market in the region of production of the Member State concerned" only. We settle neither (#1069). The 100 kilometres is the hygiene and salmonella Regulations'; the Authority's page also gives it for where a direct sale needs no grading or stamp, which no regulation we read says (#1071).

A flock of 51 or more is not capped. It is asked for the producer code on a direct sale by the Regulations, reg. 2(3), and at a local public market only by the Union text (#1069), registration of the premises (every keeper, S.I. No. 114 of 2014) and, past the hygiene Regulations' line, a food business registration (#1052).

Source: The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009, reg. 2, The European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020, reg. 2, The Control of Salmonella Regulations 2024, reg. 3, The European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations 2010, reg. 6, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Producing and selling eggs and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Hygiene for eggs.

Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Ireland?

A local public market is where the Union text puts its one marking rule, and the Regulations do not define it. Point III(3) of Part VI of Annex VII to Regulation 1308/2013 says eggs "sold by the producer to the final consumer on a local public market in the region of production of the Member State concerned shall be marked in accordance with point 1", the producer code, and lets a state exempt "producers with up to 50 laying hens, provided that the name and address of the producer are indicated at the point of sale". At a market the Regulations, reg. 2(3), read the same way: the producer code for a flock of more than 50 hens, and for up to 50 "the name and address of the producer" "at the point of sale". The Authority's 2015 factsheet, for small producers, says "If you have up to 50 hens and are selling directly at a farmers market:" "You are not required to mark your eggs as long as you provide other information, such as your name and address, at the point of sale, e.g. on a sign beside where the eggs are for sale", and "If you have more than 50 hens and are selling directly at a farmers market:" "Eggs must be stamped with the producer code. The code could be applied by means of a hand stamper". It is the Authority's, dated June 2015, and the Department's own copy was not found.

What counts as a local public market is for the state to say, and no instrument we read does: the Union text lets a state "establish, in accordance with their national law, the definition of the terms 'local public market', 'door-to-door selling' and 'region of production'", and the Regulations define none of them. The Authority's page says "(within 100 km of the egg production site)" for a market and "within a 100km region of the egg production unit" for a sale at the site or door to door; its 2015 factsheet says "in the region of production" with no distance. No regulation we read gives that distance for marketing (#1071). Ask the Department before you rely on a market.

A stall may also be the Health Service Executive's. The Authority's page on competent authorities says that, typically, the Executive "inspects businesses like restaurants, delis, retailers, mobile food businesses and food stalls" and the Department "inspects establishments involved in animal slaughter and handling and/or processing meat, dairy products, and eggs". It does not say which a farm selling its own eggs at a stall is, and no source we read says (#1052). Ask the Authority.

Source: Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII, Part VI, points I and III, The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009, reg. 2, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Labelling and Hygiene Guidelines for Producers of Small Quantities of Hen Eggs (June 2015), Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Producing and selling eggs and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Competent Authorities.

Can I sell eggs to a restaurant, a store or someone who resells them in Ireland?

Not as an exempt direct sale. The exemption in reg. 2(3) of the Regulations is for eggs "sold directly by a producer to the final consumer", and a final consumer "will not use the food as part of any food business operation or activity", so a shop, a restaurant or a bakery is not one. Reg. 3(3) says "A person shall not grade, pack or label eggs except in an authorised packing centre", and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2466, Art. 3, says "Only packing centres shall grade, pack and repack eggs and label their packs" and "The competent authority shall authorise packing centres to grade eggs". The Department's page says "Eggs must be packed in an approved egg-packing centre".

The Authority's page says "Regardless of flock size, any producer selling eggs to retail, catering enterprises or any other food service establishments (B&Bs, nursing homes, canteens etc.) must have their eggs graded at an approved Egg Packing Centre, stamped with a unique producer code, and meet all relevant food safety and labelling regulations", and its 2015 factsheet "There is no derogation for producers to sell eggs outside the marketing standards into/through third parties such as retail shops or caterers".

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Art. 1(2)(c), and the Food and Feed Hygiene Regulations 2020, reg. 2(3)(b), speak of "retail establishments supplying directly to the final consumer" within 100 kilometres. They are hygiene rules, not the egg marketing rule, and no source we read says one lifts the other for hen eggs. Ask the Department.

Reg. 3(5) of the Regulations adds that "A person shall not market eggs unless the eggs have been produced in an establishment that is registered in the register maintained pursuant to Regulation 10 of the European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations 2008". Those Regulations were revoked by reg. 42(1)(a) of the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2010, whose reg. 11 keeps a register "of all persons owning, keeping, rearing or having under their control laying hens", though reg. 6(1) says Part 3 "applies to premises where there are 350 or more laying hens". No source we read says which register reg. 3(5) means today, or whether it reaches a flock under 350 (#1072).

Source: The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009, regs. 2 and 3, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Article 2, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2466, Article 3, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Application for Approval for an Egg Packing Centre, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Producing and selling eggs, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Labelling and Hygiene Guidelines for Producers of Small Quantities of Hen Eggs (June 2015), Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 1, The European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020, reg. 2 and The European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations 2010, regs. 6, 11 and 42.

Do I need to grade or label my eggs in Ireland?

The rules on packs are for graded eggs. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Art. 11, sets what a pack of Class A eggs bears on its outer surface, and Art. 15 says "packs shall be shock-resistant, dry, clean and in good repair". Reg. 2(3) of the Regulations takes a direct sale out of them. No regulation we read prints a carton label for such a sale, or says whether a carton may be reused.

The Authority's pages list different things. Its page on pack labels lists for an egg package "The name or business name and address of the food business operator" and "an indication advising consumers to keep eggs refrigerated after purchase", and for "Eggs sold loose" "the quality grading;", "the weight grading;", "an indication of the farming method;" and "an explanation of the meaning of the producer code;", while the Union text says "no quality and weight grading may be used" on an exempt direct sale. The page does not say whether the list is for an ungraded direct sale. Its 2015 factsheet gives, for a farmers market, a name and address on a sign, and lists among what "is considered good practice if you are producing small quantities and the EU hygiene legislation does not apply" "Washing of eggs is not allowed." We settle none of it (#1073). Ask the Department or the Authority.

Source: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Articles 11 and 15, The European Communities (Marketing Standards for Eggs) Regulations 2009, reg. 2, Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII, Part VI, point I, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Information on egg pack labels and labelling of loose eggs and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Labelling and Hygiene Guidelines for Producers of Small Quantities of Hen Eggs (June 2015).

Do eggs have to be refrigerated to sell in Ireland, and at what temperature?

No regulation we read sets a temperature for an ungraded egg sold direct. For Class A eggs, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Art. 4(2), says they "shall not be treated for preservation or chilled in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially maintained" below a set figure. The Authority's page on hygiene says that, whatever the exemptions, "eggs must be stored and transported at a constant temperature until they reach the final consumer", and its page on labels that loose eggs "need to be stored and transported at ambient temperature to maintain quality", and that a pack carries "an indication advising consumers to keep eggs refrigerated after purchase". It gives no figure, and the two pages do not agree on constant and ambient. Ask the Authority.

Source: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Article 4, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Hygiene for eggs and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Information on egg pack labels and labelling of loose eggs.

Can I sell duck, quail or other eggs in Ireland?

The egg marketing rules are for hens. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Art. 2, defines eggs as eggs in shell "produced by hens of the Gallus gallus species". The hygiene Regulations take out "a flock of ducks or geese not exceeding 20 birds" as well as quail up to 50 (reg. 2(3)(b)). Keeping them is registered: the Department's page says "Poultry includes all birds that are reared or kept for the production of eggs, meat or other products" and lists ducks, geese and quail. The Authority's factsheet says "There is also separate information on duck eggs available on www.fsai.ie", which we did not read. Ask the Authority before you sell them.

Source: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, Article 2, The European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020, reg. 2, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Poultry Register and Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Labelling and Hygiene Guidelines for Producers of Small Quantities of Hen Eggs (June 2015).