There is a wealth of animal welfare legislation affecting the egg industry. Legislation can be over-prescriptive and can be a barrier to progress even where welfare benefits would result. Codes of practice (e.g. Freedom Food; The Lion) present a more flexible way forward, but to be effective they have to be both understood and credible in the eyes of the consumer.

With the increasing globalization of trade, welfare legislation must be framed to protect domestic industry from unfair competition.