A number of poultry farmers have been fined for fraud involving layer hens but cleared of selling battery eggs as free range by judges in Arnhem.

The fraud involved the breeding company delivering more hens to the egg farms than stated on the invoices, which allowed the egg producers keep more hens than they were legally allowed to.

The two directors of the breeding company in Gelderland were given 240 hours of community service, 80 suspended, for supplying clients with fake bills. The company was fined €150,000.

Three poultry farmers from Friesland, Limburg and Noord-Brabant were given 160 hours community service and fines of between €23,000 and €39,000 for keeping more hens than legally allowed.

However, the court cleared them of deliberately selling battery eggs as free range eggs because there was not enough evidence and the public prosecution department had failed to look into whether the pens the hens were kept in met EU free range rules.

The public prosecution department had called for tougher sentences because of the social implications of food fraud. This not only damages consumer confidence but pressures exports and animal welfare, the department said.