A NEW tool called EggTrace is helping egg farmers trace eggs back from point of purchase to the date and location that the eggs were laid.
By creating full visibility on the path an egg takes from lay to despatch, egg farmers now have the ability to more easily and efficiently identify quality or health issues affecting eggs, ensuring a safer and more reliable egg supply chain.
Australian Eggs managing director Rowan McMonnies said increased traceability would make the egg industry more resilient and improve Australia's food security.
"Australians consume about 17.3 million eggs a day, so if the quality or safety of our eggs is under threat, it would have major implications to our national food supply," Mr McMonnies said.
"EggTrace is a browser-based tool that works by providing farmers with the insights they need to isolate, neutralise and rectify any issue on-farm before it causes significant food supply issues, and is linked to the production type and best before date.
"As the global trend towards transparency and traceability in the food chain accelerates, traceability has become even more important in ensuring that we have the trust and confidence of Australians."
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While most large egg producers already have traceability systems in place, for some smaller producers traceability has not extended beyond the mandatory stamping of eggs.
"Australian Eggs is breaking down the remaining barriers to broader traceability coverage by putting resources in the hands of farmers to help them trace the movements of their eggs," Mr McMonnies said.
Josh's Rainbow Eggs chief executive officer Tamsyn Murray said traceability is one of the most critical components of her business.
"As egg producers we are responsible for every egg we sell. Each egg must be the best possible egg - nutritious, tasty and safe," said Dr Murray said, whose business is a supplier to Woolworths and Coles.
"Our traceability system allows us to immediately rectify any issues with egg production and ensures that we are only providing the best eggs to our customers."
In addition to the new software tool, Australian Eggs has also developed a suite of resources for Egg Farmers, including a traceability manual and factsheets.
