British Egg Industry Council

Name

British Egg Industry Council

Legal name

British Egg Industry Council

Website

https://britisheggindustrycouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The British Egg Industry Council is a UK inter-professional trade association founded in 1986, comprising 11 trade associations that represent the British egg industry to Government and regulators and operate the Lion Code of Practice assurance scheme, which covers roughly 95% of UK egg production and is funded by voluntary levies from 41 Lion-registered packer subscribers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association

NAICS

Chicken Egg Production (112310), Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Poultry Processing (311615)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015)

akta.pro primary industry

Layer Hen Egg Production (Table Eggs) (AFAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Egg Collection, Grading & Packing (On-Farm/Producer-Owned) (AFAEADAL), Food Safety & Veterinary Public Health (Meat/Milk Inspection) (HLAMAJAJ), Private label & contract egg processing (toll manufacturing/packing) (AFANAHAI), Egg ingredient manufacturing (albumen, yolk solids, egg protein isolates/hydrolysates) (AFANAHAG)

Keywords

• Egg industry representation
• Food safety assurance
• Agricultural trade association
• Egg traceability systems
• Animal welfare standards

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Levy from Lion-Registered Subscribers: BEIC is funded exclusively by a voluntary levy paid by Lion-registered packers and producer/packers who collectively represent more than 90% of egg output in the UK. These subscribers adhere to the Lion Code of Practice which sets higher standards of hygiene and animal welfare than required by UK or EU law.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) operates the British Lion Code of Practice, the UK's leading farm assurance and food safety scheme covering around 95% of British egg production, which sets higher hygiene and animal welfare standards than required by UK or EU law and requires compulsory Salmonella vaccination. It also administers the Lion Quality Mark trademark, the Lion Training Passport sector training standard, and the Egg Traceability System that allows eggs to be traced from the shell back to the originating farm via Producer Establishment Numbers.

Product overview

The British Egg Industry Council operates as a trade association representing the UK egg industry through a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offering is the Lion Code of Practice (Version 8), a comprehensive food safety scheme covering around 95% of British egg production, which includes the Lion Quality Mark applied to eggs, compulsory Salmonella vaccination, and traceability requirements. Supporting this is the British Egg Information Service providing consumer-facing information, the Lion Training Passport offering formal sector training standards, and BEPA representing egg processors. The Council also publishes the Biosecurity Photo Library as a resource for producers. Together these form a unified industry assurance and information ecosystem centered on British Lion Quality Eggs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• British Lion Code of Practice (Version 8) The UK's most successful food safety scheme, covering around 95% of British egg production, requiring compulsory Salmonella vaccination and setting standards of hygiene and animal welfare higher than required by UK or EU law. It is applied to UK egg producers, packers and producer/packers who subscribe to BEIC.
• Lion Quality Mark The trademark of the British Lion Code of Practice, applied to qualifying British eggs as a well-recognised symbol of food safety and welfare standards. It is granted to Lion-registered packers and producer/packers and used on egg shells at retail.
• British Egg Information Service (BEIS) A consumer-facing information service set up by BEIC that distributes leaflets, recipe books, nutrition and food safety information and provides recipes and materials for the general public, teachers, caterers, health professionals and students via egginfo.co.uk.
• Lion Training Passport The official training programme of the UK egg sector establishing a formal training standard delivered consistently across the industry through approved training providers, supporting workforce development for Lion Code subscribers.
• Egg Traceability System A traceability system using Producer Establishment Numbers stamped on eggshells showing production system, country of origin and unique farm ID, with a consumer lookup at lioneggfarms.co.uk allowing verification of British Lion egg provenance.
• BEPA Egg Products Representation British Egg Processors Association representation covering processed egg products including liquid egg, frozen egg, dried egg and cooked egg products served to the food service industry and commercial food processing sector, with independent auditing linked to HACCP principles.
• Biosecurity Photo Library 2025 Edition A published reference library highlighting examples of biosecurity practice for UK egg producers, newly published in 2025 by the Poultry Health and Welfare Group in partnership with Government.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of British egg production covered by Lion scheme
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers39 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Poultry Health and Welfare Group (PHWG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2025PHWG partnered with Government to update the Biosecurity Photo Library, highlighting examples of biosecurity practice. The 2025 edition was newly published, with producers encouraged to apply the highest standards of biosecurity on farm based on these examples.
• ADAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2024BEIC commissioned ADAS to undertake a scientific study of soil and water quality directly associated with free range egg production units within the Rivers Wye and Usk catchment areas. The study addressed allegations about nutrient run-off from free-range egg production and concluded that soil and water samples showed no obvious indication of a link between water quality and range areas.
• Government (UK)coreOthersBEIC is recognised by UK Government as the representative voice of the UK egg industry. Works with Government on policy matters, avian disease outbreaks through APHA, and other regulatory issues.
• European CommissioncoreOthersBEIC represents the UK egg industry in discussions with the European Commission, particularly on the Advisory Group on Eggs and Poultry meat.
• British Egg Marketing Board: Research and Education Trust (BEMB Trust)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn associated organisation focused on research and education in the egg industry.
• European Egg Packers and Traders Association (EEPTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEIC is involved in EUWEP, the umbrella organisation for EEPTA and EEPA. EEPTA is the EU organisation for egg packers and traders.
• European Egg Products Association (EEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEEPA is the EU organisation for egg processors. BEIC holds key positions in this organisation through membership in EUWEP.
• International Egg CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe global body for egg producers, packers, traders, processors and allied industries. BEIC members hold key positions in this global organisation.
• COPA/COGECAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EU organisation for producers and cooperatives. BEIC members and staff hold key positions in this organisation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Egg Commission: Global trade body for egg producers, packers, processors and allied industries, of which BEIC is a member and in which BEIC staff hold key positions. It is the most directly comparable inter-professional body at global scale.
• American Egg Board: U.S. national checkoff programme that promotes eggs and funds research and consumer marketing, structurally analogous to BEIC's UK-wide marketing and R&D remit for the Lion brand.
• Australian Eggs: Australian national industry services body representing egg producers and running marketing, R&D and policy advocacy — a near mirror of BEIC's mandate at national level.
• Egg Farmers of Canada: Canadian national egg industry organisation managing supply, standards, marketing and government relations — directly comparable in role and funding model to BEIC.
• European Union of Wholesale with Eggs, Egg Products, and Pullets (EUWEP): Umbrella trade association for European egg packers, processors and pullet traders, in which BEIC holds membership and key positions. Operates one level above national bodies and shares BEIC's inter-professional governance model.
• European Egg Packers and Traders Association (EEPTA): EU-level trade association for egg packers and traders. BEIC is a member and partner; EEPTA performs the continental equivalent of BEIC's packer-representation role.

Emerging players

• British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA): One of the 11 trade associations that constitute BEIC's membership, focused specifically on the free-range segment. Comparable as a narrower-segment UK egg industry body whose members also sit under the Lion umbrella.
• RSPCA Assured: UK animal-welfare certification scheme that operates across livestock sectors including laying hens. Comparable as a UK assurance/certification overlay whose welfare standards intersect with the Lion Code of Practice.

Regional players

• NEPLUVI (Dutch Poultry Federation): Dutch national poultry industry trade association representing egg and meat producers in the Netherlands. Functionally analogous to BEIC but operating in a different national market.

Broad incumbents

• Red Tractor Assurance: UK-wide farm assurance scheme covering multiple protein and produce categories, including eggs. Overlaps with Lion in food-safety and traceability assurance but operates as a broader incumbent across categories rather than a specialist egg scheme.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beicteam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about British Egg Industry Council