A Sydney grocer has gone viral online for selling raw emu eggs, which is illegal in NSW.
The native animal’s eggs were found on sale for $24.99 each at a grocer in Sydney’s lower north shore.
A local shared a photo of the eggs online, which quickly went viral as people debated whether selling it was legal and others claiming that it was shocking to see as they had assumed they could only see emu eggs in wildlife parks and museums, not a grocery store.
Others claimed they had bought one, while some debated the potential taste of the egg saying that it “just felt weird to cook a huge, oversized egg”.
Whole, unprocessed emu eggs cannot be legally sold directly to consumers in retail stores for home cooking.
Selling emu products requires a biodiversity conservation licence under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, and even then, whole emu eggs can only be supplied to to commercial food businesses, such as cafes, restaurants, takeaways, and caterers and not through supermarkets.
The preparation of these eggs also undergo strict safety procedures, including having trained food handlers and high-level hygiene practices.
Farms supplying the eggs must also notify NSW Food Authority and maintain strict food safety standards as the eggs can carry bacteria like salmonella.
State authorities have since responded to the video, and the items have been removed from supermarket shelves, with the Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty saying that an investigation is underway.
“If anyone is illegally selling emu eggs, they should face the full force of the law,” Minister Moriarty told news.com.au.
“The Willoughby City Council is responsible for investigating this matter, and I urge the Council to act swiftly to resolve the issue.”
The council has since responded, with a spokesperson saying they are investigating the matter and a formal probe is underway.
“As the investigation is ongoing, Council will not be commenting further at this stage,” a spokesperson for the council said.
A spokesperson for Vicinity Centres, the management group for the shopping centre, told news.com.au that the products have been removed from shelves.
“We understand that [the grocer] briefly offered emu eggs for sale, and the product was removed from sale last week,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.
“We take matters like this seriously and have followed up accordingly.
“Retailers are responsible for ensuring the products they sell comply with all applicable regulations, and we expect all tenants to meet these requirements.”
Image: Reddit
