Food safety

Chicken meat and eggs are safe to eat when they are handled and cooked properly. There is no evidence that properly prepared poultry products transmit H5 bird flu.

Follow normal food safety advice when you store, handle and prepare chicken meat and eggs.

See advice on food safety and H5 bird flu (Food Safety Standards Australia and New Zealand).

Chicken and egg supply

There are currently no detections of H5 bird flu in Australian poultry or the wider agricultural industry, and no impact to chicken meat and egg supply.

Farmers are continuing production with increased biosecurity measures in place where applicable to minimise the risk of a H5 infection. 

If an outbreak occurs in poultry, governments, industry and retailers will provide updates on any impacts to availability.

Why poultry are being housed

Wild birds can carry and spread H5 bird flu.

Temporarily housing poultry indoors or in enclosed areas can reduce interaction between poultry and wild birds. In combination with good biosecurity practices, this can help lower the risk that the virus will spread to poultry flocks.

Housing arrangements are managed by producers following state and territory guidelines as an added biosecurity measure. They vary based on the local conditions.

Producers must meet animal welfare standards whether birds are housed or under free range production systems.

Free range labelling

If a government housing order or recommendation applies, free-range poultry egg and meat producers may be required to house their poultry. Producers may also choose to house their poultry as a precautionary measure. 

If birds are housed for longer than 90 days, producers should take steps to ensure labelling and other information accurately reflects how the birds were housed. 

This could include:

• changing their packaging
• using stickers or labels on packaging
• providing additional information, such as a website link or QR code, to explain how the product was produced.

See more on guidance for free range chicken and egg labelling (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission).

Eggs from farmers markets

Eggs bought from farmers markets are safe to eat when:

• produced in accordance with applicable jurisdiction requirements
• stored, handled and cooked correctly.

Check the packaging or ask the seller if you have questions about where the eggs came from or how the hens were raised.

What government and industry are doing

We are working with state and territory governments and the poultry industry to:

• monitor for signs of H5 bird flu
• strengthen biosecurity on poultry farms
• support early detection and reporting
• reduce the risk of the virus spreading from wild birds to poultry
• prepare to contain and control an outbreak if one occurs
• provide updated information to consumers and industry.

We have national response arrangements in place for H5 bird flu. State and territory authorities lead on-ground response activities, while we coordinate the national response.