Look closely at a UK egg and you'll usually spot two things printed on the shell: the numbered code this site is built around, and a small red lion. They're not the same thing, and they don't do the same job.
Two different stamps, two different jobs
The numbered code (like 1UK12345) tells you where an egg came from and how it was farmed -- that's what EggTracker reads. The Lion stamp is a food-safety certification. An egg can carry both, and in the UK today most eggs do.
What the Lion Mark actually certifies
To carry the Lion Mark, a farm has to meet a set of standards that go beyond the legal minimum, including:
- All hens vaccinated against salmonella
- Full traceability from farm to shelf -- sometimes called the egg's "passport"
- Independent auditing of the whole process
Why it matters for how you eat your eggs
Because of these standards, the UK Food Standards Agency advises that runny or even raw eggs are safe for pregnant women, babies, young children, and elderly people to eat -- as long as the egg carries the Lion stamp. That guidance doesn't extend to eggs without it.
How common is it?
The scheme has been running since 1998, and today the large majority of eggs sold in the UK carry the Lion Mark.
Source: egginfo.co.uk, the British Egg Industry Council's consumer information site.
Want to know what the numbered code means instead? Head back to What are the codes on eggs?