Face-lift for free range egg cartons

The Free Range Chicken Co. is changing the way eggs are packaged with the release of its own line of free range shell eggs, packaged in clear recycled PET plastic containers.

According to the company, the clear PET containers provide more protection from breakage than standard cardboard containers and allow for better air flow around the eggs, reducing the risk of mould. All Free Range Chicken Co. eggs also carry an individual green food-safe ink date stamp reflecting the expiry date of the eggs.

The new shell egg containers are made using recycled water bottles and the production cycle is said to be more energy efficient than that of conventional cardboard cartons.

In a break from tradition, the eggs in grouped packs of 4 and 10 large eggs for single and family consumption, and 6 jumbo-sized eggs as the premium package.

The free range eggs used by The Free Range Chicken Co. are produced exclusively by its sister company Eikenhof Poultry Farms just outside Cape Town.

The Free Range Chicken Co. shell eggs can be found at selected Spar, Checkers, Checkers Hyper and Shoprite retail outlets in the Western Cape and recommended retail prices (RRP) are: 4 Large for R9.99; 6 Jumbo for R19.99; and 10 Large for R24.99.

The shell eggs are the second product launched by the newly formed Free Range Chicken Co. after the release of South Africa's first liquid egg product, Ready Egg, in August 2012.