Piracy has found a new business: eggs. It is no longer limited to banknotes, watches, designer handbags, medicines, or clothing.
Now criminals are also counterfeiting one of the most widely distributed egg brands in Mexico: San Juan.
They do this by cloning the famous seals and the traceability code printed on the eggshell, which identify the brand, in order to make the product appear authentic. This practice, in addition to constituting commercial fraud, breaks the chain of health identification that makes it possible to determine the food’s origin and sanitary condition.
The Deception Does Not End There
While authorities are strengthening surveillance to prevent these products from reaching store shelves, those responsible for the fraud have already taken the next step: they have moved piracy into the digital world, where they have begun using websites that impersonate Huevo San Juan to attract buyers with nonexistent offers and supposedly official sales channels.
It is a fraud on two fronts, and the first cases of counterfeit eggs have already been detected in Durango.
On one hand, the Commission for Protection Against Health Risks of the State of Durango (Coprised) maintains a permanent inspection and surveillance operation in Gómez Palacio and 11 other municipalities in the Laguna Region to detect eggs with counterfeit seals and codes, in order to verify their origin and prevent risks to public health.
On the other hand, the company itself issued a warning to distributors and consumers after detecting websites that illegally use its name, image, and even the design of its official website to deceive buyers.
The coincidence of both events has raised concerns among health authorities and the poultry industry.
The Shell Also Tells a Story
The alert that is currently mobilizing health inspectors began before the fake websites appeared online.
At the beginning of July, federal authorities issued a health alert after Salmonella outbreaks were reported on farms in the state of Colorado, United States. This situation led to increased inspections of egg sales in various states across the country.
However, as inspections progressed, a second concern emerged: the cloning of seals and falsification of the unique traceability code on products falsely identified as Huevo San Juan.
The Concern Is Not Minor
The code printed on the eggshell serves as the unique identification of each individual egg. It is the tool that allows authorities to trace the farm where the egg was produced, determine its packaging date, follow its distribution route, and confirm that it passed the appropriate health controls.
When this code is altered or falsified, certainty about the food’s true origin also disappears.
For this reason, explained Jesús Romero Torres, head of the Coprised regional office in La Laguna de Durango, inspection personnel were specifically trained to recognize the differences between an original and a counterfeit product.
Inspectors work with comparative graphic material that allows them to identify the characteristics of each printed mark.
While the authentic seal features perfectly defined letters and numbers, produced with a fine blue-ink typeface, counterfeit pieces show obvious differences in the thickness of the characters, printing irregularities, and variations in the quality of the printing.
Inspectors work with comparative graphic material that allows them to identify the characteristics of each printed mark. | Rolando Riestra.
Although these details may seem minor to consumers at first glance, for inspectors they represent sufficient indications to begin a more thorough review of the product’s origin.
The “Frescómetro,” Another Line of Defense
In response to the risk of counterfeiting, Huevo San Juan reminded consumers that anyone can verify the authenticity of the product before consuming it.
The company provides a digital platform called Frescómetro. Users simply enter the code printed on the eggshell to learn the farm of origin, packaging date, and other information that can confirm whether the egg actually belongs to a batch produced by the company.
With this tool, consumers can check whether the code matches official records or whether, on the contrary, there are inconsistencies that could indicate a possible counterfeit.
Health authorities consider this verification an additional tool to strengthen food traceability and reduce the risk of irregular merchandise reaching family tables.
Initial Seizures
The inspections have already begun producing results.
As part of operations carried out at the Gómez Palacio Wholesale Market, located in the western part of the Comarca Lagunera, Coprised personnel seized four boxes containing a total of 360 eggs.
The reason was not confirmed contamination or the presence of Salmonella.
The seizure occurred because the vendors were unable to provide invoices or documentation legally proving the product’s origin, an essential requirement to guarantee traceability and comply with current health regulations.
For the authorities, a batch without documentation represents a product whose distribution route cannot be verified and, therefore, must be removed preventively until its origin is established.
The measure is part of the surveillance strategy implemented throughout the region to prevent the sale of merchandise whose authenticity cannot be verified.
Traceability, the Piece That Cannot Be Missing
The documentation accompanying the product is just as important as the condition of the eggshell.
According to the Commission for Protection Against Health Risks of the State of Durango, every merchant is required to ensure that the eggs they sell comply with the physical and sanitary conditions established by Mexican Official Standard NOM-159-SSA1-2016, which regulates specifications for the production and sale of eggs for human consumption.
The regulation does not simply require that the product be in good condition.
When eggs are sold in secondary packaging or in bulk, they must contain information that clearly identifies their origin, as well as the corresponding labeling, entry date, and expiration date. These elements are essential for reconstructing the route followed by the food before reaching the consumer.
Jesús Romero Torres, head of the Coprised regional office in La Laguna de Durango. | Rolando Riestra.
In other words, each batch must have its own story: where it came from, who distributed it, who purchased it, and under what conditions it was stored.
If that story is broken, so is the ability to respond quickly to a health alert or promptly remove a product that may pose a risk to the population.
For this reason, Romero Torres explained that the operations are not focused solely on detecting possible counterfeit seals, but also on verifying that the entire documentary chain remains intact.
Operations Throughout La Laguna
The surveillance did not end at the Wholesale Market.
The inspection teams are also visiting supermarkets, self-service stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, and establishments where eggs are sold in bulk in Gómez Palacio and the other eleven municipalities that make up the health jurisdiction of the Laguna Region of Durango.
Although maintaining traceability is easier in formal commerce because these businesses work with fully identified suppliers, authorities recognize that the main challenge lies in bulk sales.
In this segment, the official explained, merchants are required to keep receiving records and documentation that fully identifies the supplier of each batch.
Without these documents, it is practically impossible to reconstruct the product’s journey.
“We Buy Wherever It Is Cheapest”
Inspections also reached the José Ramón Valdez Municipal Market, located near downtown Gómez Palacio.
There, in addition to checking the physical condition of the product, Coprised personnel requested that merchants provide invoices proving the purchase of the eggs they were offering to the public.
The response revealed a common practice in much of traditional commerce.
Several vendors acknowledged that they do not usually request proof of purchase, because they generally buy the product from whichever distributor offers the best price that same day.
The commercial logic is simple: buy cheaper to sell cheaper.
But this practice creates a problem when it comes to reconstructing the food’s traceability.
In response, health authorities asked merchants to change this practice and begin requesting receipts, invoices, or any document that can prove the origin of each batch.
This is not merely an administrative requirement.
It is the only way to verify that the product comes from a legal distribution channel and to act quickly if any health irregularity is detected.
The Price Is Also Changing
While inspections continue, the market is also showing slight changes.
During a visit by MILENIO to the José Ramón Valdez Market, a carton of eggs was sold for an average of 60 pesos, while a kilogram reached 45 pesos, figures that represent a slight increase compared with prices recorded during May.
Health surveillance has placed the origin of the product under greater scrutiny than its price. | Rolando Riestra.
Although merchants attribute these variations to normal market behavior, health surveillance has placed the origin of the product under greater scrutiny than its price.
Because today the question is no longer simply how much an egg costs. It is also important to know where it comes from, but the fraud had already taken another step.
While inspectors were visiting markets and checking seals, codes, and invoices, piracy had already crossed another boundary. The fraud has come out of its shell. It now also lives on the internet.
Huevo San Juan itself sent a statement to its distributor network warning them about a new form of deception that uses the brand’s good reputation as its main hook.
The company reported that it had detected that the websites huevomx.com, huevo-sanjuan.com, and huevos-sanjuan.com illegally use its name, graphic identity, and images of its products to offer supposed promotions and sales.
They are not authorized distributors. Nor are they official platforms.
The warning was forceful: “Do not let yourself be deceived!” states the statement distributed by the company to its commercial customers.
Huevo San Juan distanced itself from any offer or promotion, while the criminals behind these websites even copied the design of its institutional website with the intention of generating trust among consumers and making them believe that they are conducting transactions directly with the famous brand through these pages. The company reiterated that none of them belong to its official distribution network.
It also expressly asked consumers not to make deposits, transfers, advance payments, or any type of transaction with individuals or companies that do not belong to Proan’s authorized distributor network.
The company also reminded consumers that it does not sell eggs online, meaning that any website offering this service using its name is engaging in a fraudulent practice.
Commission for Protection Against Health Risks of the State. | Rolando Riestra.
“For your safety, do not conduct any transactions with individuals or companies that are not an authorized Proan distributor. We remind you that Proan does not offer eggs for online sale, only through the telephone number 800 713 7841,” the producer stated.
With this, the problem ceased to be exclusively a health issue.
It also became a case of commercial identity theft seeking to take advantage of the reputation of a recognized brand to commit online fraud.
An Alert That Does Not End at the Store Shelf
Although the falsification of seals and cloning of websites have raised alarms, so far health authorities have not detected the arrival of shipments contaminated with Salmonella in the Laguna Region of Durango.
Jesús Romero Torres explained that preventive operations will continue and that inspections remain active in coordination with security forces and other state agencies to prevent products of irregular origin from reaching consumers.
The surveillance, he emphasized, is not focused solely on one specific brand, but on the need to ensure that all food reaching consumers’ tables complies with established sanitary conditions.
The international alert over Salmonella outbreaks reported on farms in Colorado, United States, required strengthened controls to remain in place. However, in the Laguna territory, the main focus of attention is currently related to the authenticity and traceability of the product.
Because an egg with no verifiable origin represents an unanswered question: no one can guarantee with certainty where it came from, who handled it, or under what conditions it reached the point of sale.
How to Detect an Irregular Egg
In this situation, Coprised asked consumers to also become the first line of surveillance.
Before purchasing or consuming eggs, it recommended conducting a visual inspection of the product and discarding any pieces that show signs of deterioration or irregularity.
Among the main warning signs are:
- Dark spots or mold on the eggshell.
- Traces of blood.
- Cracks or an excessively fragile texture.
- Bad odors.
It also asked consumers to purchase the product only from formal establishments, avoid buying from locations where the merchandise’s origin cannot be verified, and check seals or traceability codes through the brands’ official platforms.
In the case of Huevo San Juan, the company reiterated that its Frescómetro can be used to confirm the product’s authenticity. | Rolando Riestra.
In the case of Huevo San Juan, the company reiterated that consumers can use its Frescómetro at www.huevosanjuan.com.mx/frescometro to confirm the product’s authenticity and obtain information related to its origin.
The Cost of Breaking the Chain
For merchants who cannot prove the legal origin of the product, the consequences may go beyond the preventive removal of the merchandise.
Coprised warned that establishments that fail to regularize the seized batches or cannot prove their origin will face administrative sanctions and, if necessary, destruction of the product in accordance with the General Health Law.
The measure seeks to prevent food whose origin is unknown from remaining in circulation.
Because during a health emergency, traceability is not a formality.
It is the difference between detecting a risk in time or allowing it to spread without control.
The New Business of Counterfeiting
The story of counterfeit eggs reveals an evolution in the way counterfeiters operate. In the past, imitating an appearance was enough.
Now they seek to appropriate all the trust built around a brand: from the seal placed on the eggshell to the website that attempts to convince users that they are dealing with an official channel.
The alert issued in Durango is not only about counterfeit eggs; it is about a new form of piracy. | Rolando Riestra.
The fraud begins with a false imprint. It can continue with a product whose origin no one can verify. And it can end with a screen where a consumer hands over their data or money to a website that never belonged to the company.
That is why the alert issued in Durango is not only about counterfeit eggs. It is about a new form of piracy in which merchandise and a brand’s digital identity become the target.
Source: milenio
