EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS – SPRING 2013
Cage egg phase-out –
consumer choice hit
Page 8
Layer hen housing
research project
Page 12
Egg plus supplements
– a big vitamin D dose
Page 17
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2
Editor’s NOTE
EGGSTRA!
EGGSTRA!
Contributors
James Kellaway, AECL Managing Director
[email protected]
Dr Angus Crossan,
AECL Program Manager – R&D
[email protected]
Yelli Kruger,
AECL Project Manager – Marketing
[email protected]
Heather Palmer, AECL Project Manager
[email protected]
Jojo Jackson R&D Project Coordinator
[email protected]
Design
Black Wattle Consulting
Editorial Assistant
Lorraine Mills
[email protected]
Editor-IN-CHIEF
Kai Ianssen, AECL Communications Manager
[email protected]
EDITOR
John Fitzsimmons
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
Max Hyde, Hyde Media Pty Ltd
[email protected]
Phone: (03) 5792 1314
Office
Australian Egg Corporation Limited
Level 4, 107 Mount Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
Phone: 02 9409 6909
Fax: 02 9954 3133
www.aecl.org
COPYRIGHT WARNING.
The opinions expressed in Eggstra Eggstra are not
necessarily those of AECL. All material appearing in
Eggstra Eggstra is the subject of copyright owned by
AECL and is protected under the Australian Copyright
Act (1968), international copyright and trademark law.
No portion may be reproduced or duplicated by any
process without the prior written permission of AECL.
DISCLAIMER.
This publication is for information purposes only. The
publisher and It’s agents or employees shall not be
liable for any loss or damage suffered by any person
as a result of reliance on any of the contents hereof,
whether such loss or damage arises from the negligence or misrepresentation or any act or omission of
the publisher or its agents.
It is part of any well managed farm’s operation plans to consider
the health of plants and livestock where applicable. Disease control
is a basic tenet of management and, especially with livestock, stock
monitoring is a constant, daily task that becomes second nature.
However, especially as trade barriers fall and with major population
shifts under way on a global scale, the risks of disease threats
previously not known here have increased. There are also the risks of pests and diseases
introduced to your enterprise/s by visitors – welcome and otherwise – and trespassers –
both unwitting and those with malicious intent. Not that long ago ‘biosecurity’ was a word
hardly contemplated and rarely spoken. Today it constitutes a whole new and constantly
changing chapter in the enterprise management manual. Australia’s plant industries
have been well to the fore in implementing industry-wide biosecurity plans. The animal
industries, of which the egg industry is a part, are no less at risk. The egg industry knows
the consequences and has a Biosecurity Code of Practice (see http://www.aecl.org/
resources/codes-of-practice). It is a significant and valuable investment in the future
security and viability of our producers.
CONTENTS.
04 THE MD’s REPORT
22AECL’S NEW CONSUMER CAMPAIGN
05MARKET NEWS
25BOOST YOUR NUTRITION
Situation analysis
06‘EGGERS’ KNOW THAT EGGS ARE
MAGIC
08WOOLWORTHS’ CAGE EGG PHASEOUT – CONSUMER CHOICE HIT
12
LAYING HEN HOUSING RESEARCH
PROJECT
KNOWLEDGE – ONLINE EDUCATION
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
26R ESEARCHER PROFILE
Dr Julie Roberts
28N EW TRAINING UNITS DELIVER A
COMPETENT WORKFORCE
29IN THE MEDIA
16 PRODUCER PROFILE
34A NATIONAL APPROACH TO LONG
17
A SINGLE EGG – PLUS
TERM NEWCASTLE DISEASE
MANAGEMENT
SUPPLEMENTS – PROVIDES A BIG
VITAMIN D DOSE
18
EGG PRODUCT NOW INCLUDED IN
THE ‘TICK’ PROGRAM FOR EGGS
20EGG RECIPES
35DISEASE FILE: TUBERCULOSIS
36AUSTRALIA – KEEPING ABREAST OF
INTERNATIONAL POULTRY WELFARE
37FOR THE DIARY
Our cover: Mouth watering cover image from AECL’s new 2014 Recipe Calendar.
Page
06
Page
12
‘Eggers’ have
decorated and
carved eggs
for centuries.
Science-based
data will help
guide future
egg production.
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
3
MD’S REPORT
is a national group of technical experts as it
relates to controlling and eradicating animal
disease threats.
James Kellaway
The EADRP will also suggest whether the cost
of the response should be cost-shared by all
affected parties. Depending on the
categorisation of the disease, the cost may be
fully paid for by governments or shared with
the affected industries.
no egg producer is immune to
the threat of a disease outbreak
The poultry industries have been
subjected to a number of
notifiable disease incursions that
have challenged biosecurity
procedures in place on-farm.
Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (AI)
viruses have been realised in the
egg and duck industries during
2012 and 2013 and the behaviour
of such a disease and others
seem to occur randomly, without
notice or prior warning and with
devastating effects. Only good
biosecurity procedures and
effective quarantine practices can
assist inhibit or mitigate the risk.
No measure or procedure will
remove the risk totally.
Biosecurity is key to animal production and
forms an integral part of animal husbandry and
astute on-farm management. So, what is
biosecurity?
According to the Food & Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations,
“…biosecurity is a holistic concept of direct
relevance to the sustainability of agriculture
and wide-ranging aspects of public health and
protection of the environment, including
biological diversity. The over-arching goal of
biosecurity is to prevent, control and/or
manage risks to life and health as appropriate
to the particular biosecurity sector. In doing so,
4
biosecurity is an essential element of
sustainable agricultural development.”
Biosecurity is a high priority for animal
production systems such as poultry. As a result,
in 2001 the egg industry developed the Code
of Practice for Biosecurity in the Egg Industry to
assist ensure Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) were instituted on-farm to help protect
hens from disease risks. In consultation with
Animal Health Australia (AHA), AECL has
commenced updating the Code and is also
developing on-farm biosecurity tools to further
assist egg producers mitigate disease incursion.
Other AECL products include the HenSupport
diagnostics tool, our Farm Extension Service,
skills and knowledge training and our industrybased Quality Assurance (QA) program.
When there is an outbreak of a notifiable and
categorised disease on a farm that has been
identified by the farmer or a veterinarian, it
must be reported to government which will
seek confirmation through lab tests with the
final arbiter being the CSIRO Australian
Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) based in
Geelong, Victoria.
In the interim, the Chief Veterinary Officer
(CVO) of the state/territory where the farm is
located will develop a Emergency Animal
Disease Response Plan (EADRP) which will
take account of the relevant AUSVETPLAN,
which is the SOP for responding to such a
disease outbreak. The EADRP will then be
considered by the Consultative Committee for
Emergency Animal Diseases (CCEAD) which
The decision to cost share will be determined
by the National Management Group (NMG).
Members of NMG include the Australian
Government, state/territory governments,
Animal Health Australia and the affected
industries.
Recent cases of AI sub-types in poultry flocks
have been a Category 2 disease which means
governments pay 80% of the response cost and
the affected industries pay 20% of the cost.
While government initially pays 100% of the
response, the industry contribution is paid back
to government through the Emergency Animal
Disease Response Levy (EADRL). The
EADRL for the egg industry is currently set at
zero and will be instituted once final costs are
known and agreed. The egg industry can then
determine the rate of the EADRL. Broadly
speaking, the higher it is, the shorter period of
time it is instituted to pay back the egg
industry’s share of the response cost.
The last time the EADRL was used was to pay
the government back for the Newcastle
Disease (ND) response in Horsley Park, NSW,
and Meredith, Victoria.
While compensation to the affected farmer for
loss of stock is part of the cost-sharing
arrangements, this amount does not include
losses for interruption to the business, losses
in cash flow, nor the emotional strain and
personal stress associated with dealing with a
disease outbreak. No person would want to
experience or endure the heartache and
tragedy associated with a disease response.
I call on all egg producers to review their
biosecurity measures in place on-farm. No
matter the size, location or farming system
used, no egg producer is immune to the threat
of a disease outbreak.
MARKET NEWS
Market news – situation analysis
The grocery sales volume for the 12 months ending September 2013
according to AZTEC totalled 139 million dozen, up by 4% on the
previous 12 months of 133 million dozen and up by 16% on the 5-year
average of 119 million dozen. Average monthly sales over the most
recent 12 months totalled 11.6 million dozen compared to the previous
12-month average of 11.1 million and the 5-year monthly average of
9.9 million dozen increasing by 4% and 16% respectively.
According to AZTEC, retail egg sales reached a high in January 2013
which was against the trend experienced in 2012 and the 5-year average.
This was followed by a seasonal dip in February 2013 prior to sales increasing
for the autumn months. While March 2013 sales seemed uncharacteristically
high, relative to 2012 and the 5-year average, this was compensated by a
decline in sales reported for the month of April 2013 with May 2013 sales
also going against the trend. Sales for August 2013 and September 2013
have followed the 5-year trend downward according to AZTEC.
According to AZTEC, the grocery sales value for the 12 months ending
September 2013 totalled $616 million, up by 12% on the previous 12 month’s
of $551 million and up by 27% on the 5-year average of $484 million.
Average monthly sales over the most recent 12 months have totalled
$51 million compared to the previous 12-month average of $46 million and
the 5-year monthly average of $40 million. Sales revenue followed a similar
trend to sales volume with grocery turnover of eggs peaking in January
2013 and rebounding again in March 2013 as reported by AZTEC.
According to AZTEC data sources, grocery price points for the
12 months ending October 2013 averaged $4.44 per dozen, up by
7% on the previous 12 month average of $4.14 per dozen and up by
10% on the 5-year average of $4.05 per dozen. On a segment basis,
cage egg prices averaged $3.41 per dozen over the most recent
12 months, up by 7% on 2011/12 average prices. For barn-laid eggs,
retail prices for the last 12 months averaged $4.81 per dozen, up by
4% on the previous year with free range eggs averaging $5.49 per
dozen at retail, up by 6% on the average dozen price for 2011/12.
Using a base of average sales over the 4-year period from 2000 to
2003, the performance of AECL and the egg industry in providing a
return on the invested Egg Promotion Levy dollar is critical to monitor
and determine the success of AECL promotional programs and their
associated outcomes for all egg producers. Using the ‘Freebairn’ model
developed by Professor John Freebairn at the University of Melbourne
and reviewed in 2012 by Economic Research Associated (ERA), a return
of 58% above the sales target has been realised for 2013 YTD with
this increase representing 4.3 million dozen. This is great news for egg
producers and the investment of their levy dollar in programs that are
building egg awareness, demand, sales and consumption.
For further information, please contact James Kellaway
T: (02) 9409 6906 or E: [email protected] by e-mail.
Egg Retail Sales Volume – Monthly
2012/13 compared to 2011/12 & 5-year averages
2012/13
2011/12
Egg Retail Sales Value – Monthly
2012/13 compared to 2011/12 & 5-year averages
60
5-year ave
2012/13
13.0
2011/12
5-year ave
55
12.5
A$ MILLION
MILLION DOZEN EQUIVALENT
13.5
12.0
11.5
11.0
10.5
50
45
10.0
9.5
40
9.0
8.5
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
MONTH
Aug
35
Sep
2012/13
$4.55
2011/12
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Source: AZTEC
$4.45
$4.40
$4.35
$4.30
$4.25
$4.20
ROI sales target
actual retail sales
12.0
MILLION DOZEN
AVERAGE UNIT VALUE
Jan
12.5
5-year ave
11.5
11.0
10.5
9.5
9.0
$4.15
8.5
$4.10
8.0
$4.05
7.5
$4.00
7.0
$3.95
Oct
Nov
Dec
jan
Feb
Mar
MONTH
Dec
Return on Egg Promotion Levy investment – retail egg sales
calendar year basis
$4.50
$3.90
Nov
MONTH
Egg Retail Sales Unit Value – Monthly
2012/13 compared to 2011/12 & 5-year averages
$4.60
Oct
Source: AZTEC
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Source: AZTEC
6.5
2000–2003 2004
base
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
MONTHLY AVERAGE
2010
2011
2012
2013YTD
Source: AZTEC
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
5
‘Eggers’ know that eggs are magic
By John Fitzsimmons
Most people who work and earn
their living by producing eggs
are pretty involved with the task
but their passion is matched by
another, possibly larger, group of
people – the ‘eggers’ – who have
decorated and carved eggs of all
types for centuries. It might also
surprise many to find one of the
biggest collections resides in a
small yet vibrant town in western
Victoria.
The regally named Imperial Egg Gallery sits
in the centre of Beaufort, a town hosting a
population of a little over 1000 people,
although in gold rush times nearby Fiery Creek
reportedly was home to 100,000 or more
hopeful miners during the 1850s. The Gallery’s
owner, Margaret Saunders, with her son Peter
and daughter in-Law Edith, proudly introduce a
steady stream of visitors from all points of the
compass to the collection of more than 650
eggs built up by Margaret since her childhood.
How did this interest begin for this lady? One
of seven children, she described her father –
an Irish tailor – as “the last of the leprechauns”
and a great storyteller. In many of these stories
the traditional role of eggs in the cycle of life
was a feature and, to Margaret and her siblings,
“eggs were magic”. An uncle who had a cordial
factory had access to various food dyes and
colourings so, not surprisingly, the Saunders
family eggs were also frequently decorated.
Also understandably, Margaret’s brothers
tended to breed birds while her sisters also
developed an interest in collecting eggs.
In those times Australiana in the form of
“magic eggs” – carved emu eggs from
Queensland and the Northern Territory – were
highly popular; Margaret was given one for her
18th birthday and it became a special treasure.
6
Her first decorated egg, sadly, was also
the first to be accidentally broken when the
collection was moved to Beaufort from
nearby Lake Boga where the family operated
a motel. Continuing the hospitality tradition
the collection was initially housed in the
family’s new Beaufort motel enterprise
before re-locating to dedicated premises.
While the collection includes eggs from
swans (collection of native swan eggs is
now illegal), geese, ducks, emus, ostriches,
doves and bantam hens but, notably, no
conventional hen eggs – the shells are
generally too soft for carving. There are
also eggs from all parts of the globe –
Russia, Abu Dhabi, France, the UK, Canada
and USA, Africa, China, Japan, Indonesia
and (the former) Yugoslavia. Margaret
points out that there is barely a society
or culture on earth that does not decorate
eggs in some way.
Despite this wide choice however, Margaret
won’t even attempt to put a value on
her collection, nor declare a favourite.
There are, however, a number of special
eggs in the gallery that can be singled
out for their beauty, rarity, special interest,
or representation of the eggers’ skill.
Australia’s aboriginal people decorated emu
and other eggs, usually with their traditional
artwork and representations of wildlife and
totems. However with the arrival of Europeans
the ‘market demand’ changed and there was
an era of emu eggs decorated frequently with
kangaroo and emu, ships, even Captain Cook
– as expected by Europeans locally and ‘back
home’. Reflecting this period is the oldest egg
in the collection – one dating from 1870 and
originating from the Botany Bay area. It went
to England in 1875 where it was combined
with a silver mount created by local artisans
– as many of these eggs were; Margaret’s son
Peter brought it back to Australia in 1987!
Two of the eggs most popular with visitors
are by ‘Stavros’ of StGeorge in Queensland.
These are internally lit which is considered
rare because of the fragility of the shells when
exposed to the heat of incandescent globes;
however modern and ‘cooler’ LED lighting has
permitted a new generation of this style to be
produced, showcasing the unique translucent
and colour effects of the egg shells.
Apart from the more familiar
internationally traditional forms
of egg decoration, a number
of local artists now specialise
in egg shell as media and
eggs as elements in sculpture
representing a wide range of
plants and animals.
Helen Radin from Victoria’s East Gippsland
is one of the better known artists whose work
is represented in the Imperial Egg Gallery.
Her work ranges from seahorses to cactus,
penguins to ibis. The gallery also has examples
of contemporary Asian artworks which have
utilised eggshell of varying colour and texture
to create traditional scenes.
This craft even has a celebrity touch. Maude,
mother of the late actor Humphrey Bogart,
was a famous maker of miniature dolls and
dollhouses which were used by eggers in their
egg creations. After her death the American
eggers purchased her collection from her
estate and shared it with the world. One of
these pieces – a carved rhea egg featuring
an interior Christmas scene, is among the
Imperial Gallery’s collection at Beaufort.
The characteristic egg shape also naturally
lends itself to portraiture and – yes – footballs.
Painted eggs featuring South African leader
Nelson Mandella and a souvenir of the Rugby
World Cup are in this category among the
displays.
It might surprise many to
hear that Australia is home
to an estimated 3500 eggers,
600 in each of Victoria and
South Australia alone. If this
represents the active interest
it is perhaps not surprising
that several busloads of visitors
a week find their way to the
Imperial Gallery at Beaufort.
The egg gallery provides a
central attraction and interest
to which the Saunders’ have
added a similarly colourful
gift shop and a coffee bar.
“The kids just love it, and they always come
back with their family,” Margaret pointed out.
Is this because of the colours, the forms,
the subjects ... or just the ‘magic’ of eggs?
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
7
Woolworths cage egg phase-out
– consumer choice hit
Industry and producer groups have been quick to respond to
major retailer Woolworths’ recent announcement that it will
phase out all caged whole eggs sold in-store by 2018, including
those used in its ‘own brand’ products. The move will have a
significant effect on consumer choice and on that part of the
egg industry which has invested heavily in updating cage
production systems to meet contemporary standards and
market expectations.
The move by Woolworths was linked to a
new partnership with celebrity chef and fresh
food campaigner Jamie Oliver to “inspire a
healthier Australia”. A statement by the
retailer said the partnership “will focus on
bringing better, healthier, affordable fresh
food to life for everyday Australians, giving
them the information and confidence to
prepare great tasting fresh meals at home”.
Woolworths Managing Director, Tjeerd
Jegen, said their customers have told them
that they want help to make healthier food
choices. We’re really excited about working
with Jamie to help Australia live and cook
well by choosing fresh options, all while
keeping the shopping budget under control,
he said.
Jamie Oliver said, “together (with Woolworths)
aim is to inspire Aussies to cook more fresh
food from scratch and to have fun with it, all
safe in the knowledge that they’re feeding
themselves and their families with quality,
affordable and local ingredients they can trust”.
As part of the partnership, Jamie Oliver has
been working with Woolworths on a number
of significant changes that are already
underway. These include phasing out all
caged whole eggs sold in-store by 2018,
including those used in Own Brand products.
As well, Woolworths will move to RSPCA or
equivalent approved standards for all fresh
chicken sold in store by the end of next year.
Additionally, the chicken used in ‘own brand’
products will also be RSCPA or equivalent
approved by the end of 2018, according to
company statements.
However the Australian Egg Corporation
Limited (AECL) points out that, based on
scientific research, all egg production
systems have their own advantages and
disadvantages in relation to hen welfare.
8
Recent scientific research undertaken by
the University of Sydney demonstrated that
hen stress levels are similar across cage,
barn and free range environments, with
the key determinants on hen welfare
being hen husbandry not the system used.
(http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.
html?newsstoryid=8876).
The Australian egg industry has invested
$500m on the new welfare friendly cages
since 2008, and more than $10 million over
10 years in research and development into
better welfare for hens and this investment
will continue.
New South Wales Egg Farmers were
“disappointed” by Woolworths’ announcement,
highlighting that “affordable protein has the
coup!”
The association’s Egg Committee Chair,
Bede Burke said “the announcement comes
with no industry consultation or recognition
of the work farmers have already undertaken
to improve farm facilities to accommodate
the current the Model Code of Practice for
Poultry’s 2008 deadline”.
“It is all every well for food ambassador
Jamie Oliver to want to be saving food but
this paltry decision is hardly going to make
savings for the family budget. The timeframe
is impractical and may just force Australian
farmers out of the industry, driving prices up
further”, Mr Burke said.
“Eggs are the most affordable protein, this
announcement will deny choice to the 50%
of people who consume eggs. It is concerning
that Mr Oliver’s initiative will put eggs out
of reach of many household budgets”,
Mr Burke said.
hen stress levels (are)
similar across cage,
barn and free range
environments: University
of Sydney research
“It is also incorrect to assume that one
production system is better than another”,
he said, referring to research by Dr Jeff
Downing at Sydney University that found hen
stress levels to be similar across cage, barn
and free range environments.
“Cage eggs are always fresher too”,
Mr Burke said.
“The announcement by Woolworths is extreme
compared to the Coles decision. The 55% of
consumers who currently purchase cage
eggs – where will they go?” Mr Burke asked.
“This is a sudden decision and NSW Farmers
will be working with farmers to help them
meet the retailers’ demands”, Mr Burke said.
Cage egg farmers and consumers are the
latest victims of the one-upmanship game
being played between the two major retailers
– Woolworths and Coles – according to the
Queensland United Egg Producers Pty Ltd
(QUEP).
QUEP CEO, Mr. John Coward, also said it
was disappointing that Woolworths has taken
the position endorsed by celebrity chef Jamie
Oliver, as the financial impacts on farmers
and consumers are significant.
“The decision comes without any consultation
with industry to address the financial impacts
and the ability for industry to make significant
changes in such a short timeline,” Mr. Coward
said.
farmers and consumers
are the latest victims of
the one-upmanship game
being played between the
two major retailers
“While QUEP respect the rights of the retailer
to manage what they offer the customer,
industry is concerned they are taking away
consumer choice by removing what is often
the most affordable egg category – cage
eggs – which retail at approximately 40%
discount to the free range offer. ” he said.
Meanwhile, Coles and other retailers have
opted to continue to provide the customer
with a choice of cage or cage free eggs with
only Coles removing cage eggs from their
own brand range.
“I would like to reinforce to consumers that
the welfare of hens in all egg production
systems exists under strict government
legislation and is top of mind for all egg
farmers,” he said.
The government, the egg industry and other
stakeholders are soon set to commence a
structured review of the Model Code of
Practice relating to egg production. Egg
farmers have already invested more than $500
million on upgrading to more welfare friendly
cages required under the current Code.
“Farmers think it is unacceptable that they
have to invest hundreds of millions more, well
before their current cages reach the Model
Code of Practice agreed use-by date,” Mr
Coward said.
QUEP endorses Free Range, Barn or Cage
egg production systems that meet government
welfare standards and believe the consumer
should have the right to choose the kinds of
eggs they want to buy. Cage eggs represent
about 50% of all eggs sold in Australia
Consumer choice must be key
Victoria’s peak farmer lobby group also
questioned Woolworth’s decision to phase
out all caged eggs over five years.
“This move by Woolworths is a massive loss
for consumer choice,” VFF Eggs Group
president Brian Ahmed said. “The change will
mean a significant rise in egg prices, with
caged eggs being the clear cheaper option.
“With many Australian families living on a
shoestring budget, there is serious concern
about the affordability of an essential protein.
Consumer Group Choice recently released
a report this week which found free-range
eggs cost more than double the price of cage
eggs, Mr Ahmed pointed out.
“Even Woolworths freely admitted that the
cost of eggs would rise dramatically.
“What’s more concerning is that Woolworths
did not consult with industry or producers,”
Mr Ahmed said.
Mr Ahmed also questioned the timing of the
decision considering the Model Code of
Practice for Poultry has just commenced its
review process.
“In 2000, industry, government and retailers
came to an agreement to improve practices
by 2008. The egg industry has already spent
Continued next page
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
9
Continued from previous page
more than $500 million dollars to meet the
new regulations. Now they want to change
that? There has not been enough time given
to ensure a return. It will cost the industry
more than twice the initial investment,”
Mr Ahmed said.
Mr Ahmed also highlighted that the VFF has
lead the way in advocating animal welfare.
“As farmers, animal welfare is consistently a
top priority. We’ve been working collaboratively
with Coles to establish the national Quality
Assurance program HenCare,” Mr Ahmed
said. “The HenCare certification logo tells
consumers they are buying eggs from producers
who not only comply with current food safety
legislation, but are committed to providing
the best care for their hens and eggs.
is that it costs much more to produce
non-caged eggs, which will increase the
price of eggs for consumers.
“Consumers are smart enough to know
that it is not so much the production system
that is used which determines the welfare
of hens, but the management of it.”
Egg market facts
On average, Australians eat 214 eggs per
year – 50% are caged eggs. Recent
consumer research undertaken by AECL
revealed that 73% of people make their
egg purchases according to the price. The
retail market share of free range eggs has
increased from 10% in 2000 to 38% in 2012.
Market share
retail
“Woolworths should consider using QA
programs like HenCare to assure animal
welfare,” Mr Ahmed said.
HenCare, in partnership with Coles was
backed by the Department of Environment
and Primary Industry and launched in June
this year.
The Commercial Egg Producers Association
of WA (CEPA) urgently sought a meeting
with Woolworths to discuss the company’s
which would reduce consumer choice.
“The move came as a total surprise to
producers, who only five years ago invested
more than $500 million across Australia to
upgrade their caged facilities to ensure
animal welfare was at its highest by 2008,”
a CEPA statement said.
CEPA President John Simpson said the
decision took away the rights of shoppers to
make a decision based on their own financial
or personal circumstances, as they could
presently choose from a range of egg
products including cage free, free range,
barn, organic and RSPCA-approved eggs.
“If consumers want to buy non-caged eggs,
then they presently have the choice to do so,”
Mr Simpson said.
“This is nothing short of Woolworths trying to
look good in the eyes of the public, when in
fact they are taking choice away from them.”
$ per
dozen
retail
average
2012
2013
50%
68%
$3.35
Free Range
38%
eggs
25%
$5.38
Barn-Laid
eggs
7%
$4.76
Cage eggs
10%
The retail market for all eggs in Australia
represents about 60% of the total market
with the remaining markets including
foodservice (restaurants, pubs, clubs, cafes,
etc.), institutional catering (hospitals, etc.)
and food manufacturing (biscuit and cake
manufacturers, etc.). When these other
non-retail markets are included, the
percentage share of cage eggs increases
to approximately 60% of the total market.
In other words, non-retail markets purchase
more cage eggs than the retail market.
Cage eggs prices are, on average $3.35 per
dozen for cage versus $5.38 per dozen for
free range. At retail and since 2000, cage
eggs have increased by 51 cents on average
per dozen while free range eggs have
increased by 99 cents on average per dozen.
The marginal difference in free range eggs
has increased from $1.51 per dozen to
$1.99 per dozen in 2012.
Mr Simpson said it was disappointing
Woolworths did not consult producers
about the plan or seek input about any
potential ramifications.
“It would be interesting to find out what
research Woolworths has undertaken to
show that non-caged eggs are better,
healthier and more affordable to purchase,”
Mr Simpson said. “The reality of the matter
10
they are taking away
consumer choice by removing
what is often the most
affordable egg category
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
11
Laying hen housing
research project
The Coalition for Sustainable Egg
Supply is a multi-stakeholder group
collaborating on a commercial scale
study of housing alternatives for
egg-laying hens in the U.S. The
goal of conducting the Laying Hen
Housing Research Project is to
understand the sustainability
impacts of various laying hen
housing, including cage-free aviary,
enriched cage and conventional
cage systems. The Coalition’s
research will result in meaningful
science-based data that will help
guide future egg production and
purchasing decisions.
This interim findings report for
Flock One summarises progress
in environmental, animal health
and wellbeing, affordability, worker
health and safety, and food safety
and quality research areas.
Hen mortality is significantly higher in the
aviary system than other systems, followed by
the enriched system and then conventional
with the lowest.
Egg production by hen is fairly similar across
all systems, though their production varies over
time within each system.
When mortality is taken into account, production
is lowest in the aviary system. Because of the
higher mortality, the fewer birds remaining in
that system cannot produce as many eggs as
the other systems. Production from hens in the
enriched system seems to be the most consistent
through the 76 weeks studied.
Environment
Ammonia and particulate matter (PM)
concentrations are significantly higher in the aviary
system than either conventional or enriched:
This research is being conducted on a commercial
farm, with all three housing types at the same
location. Over the course of three years, and
over two separate flocks, the research will assess
five areas of sustainability – animal health and
wellbeing, environment, food affordability, food
safety, and worker health and safety. The final
analysis will explore interactions and trade-offs
between sustainability areas within each
housing system.
The initial findings begin to offer some insight
into the variables to be considered in selecting
different hen housing systems.
12
•
aily mean ammonia (NH3) concentration
D
was below 15ppm in both conventional
and enriched cage houses throughout
monitoring period, but exceeded 30ppm in
the aviary house on some days in winter.
•
M concentrations in the aviary house
P
were roughly eight to 10 times those in the
conventional and enriched cage houses.
PM concentrations in the conventional and
enriched houses were by and large similar.
In the aviary system, higher ammonia
concentrations are likely a result of the
manure being on the floor and not removed
until the end of the flock.
Hen behaviour activity in the litter area of
the aviary generates eight to 10 times more
dust than enriched or conventional. Ongoing
research will assess whether this dust impacts
worker or hen health.
Similarly, ammonia and PM emissions from
the houses were highest for the aviary house,
followed by the conventional house and the
enriched house. Methane emissions for all
houses were similar and quite small.
Regarding energy use, it is important to
consider that this is partial year data only.
Also, the research location experienced a mild
winter so energy use may have been lower.
With those caveats, electricity use was similar
across all three systems. The aviary house
required supplemental heat (from propane),
making it the highest cost system from an
energy perspective.
Finally, manure production was similar
for different types of housing systems.
The manure produced from conventional
housing had higher moisture content and
higher emission potential than the manure
from enriched and aviary systems. The manure
contained 25–28 per cent of the carbon,
57–63 per cent of the nitrogen, 72–80 per
cent of the phosphorus and 70–90 per cent
of the potassium from the feed.
Animal health and wellbeing
Hen mortality was much higher in the aviary
system due to conditions associated with
egg production, particularly hypocalcemia and
to behavioural issues, with hens either being
excessively pecked, or picked out (vent).
There was less mortality due to behavioural
issues in the enriched system, and none in the
conventional system. More birds were culled
during the first 15 days in the enriched system
than the other systems due to wings and legs
being fractured during placement. Also, it was
harder to detect dead birds in the aviary and
enriched systems than in the conventional system.
In the aviary system, mid-afternoon was the
peak time for dust bathing, with up to 22 per
cent of hens seen dust-bathing in the open
litter area. In enriched cages approximately
30 per cent of hens dust-bathed, but mostly
on the wire floor of the cage.
Feather lipid levels were lowest in the aviary
system, indicating that hens can dust-bathe
effectively in this system. However, they were
also lower in enriched than conventional,
indicating that the pad in the enriched system
was somewhat effective for dust-bathing.
The foraging/dusting pad in the enriched
system was used during the performance of
various behaviours and became very dirty. In
the aviary, the open litter area was also well
used, with up to 90 percent of the area occupied.
Food affordability
The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply is
researching the affects on hens, workers and
costs of various egg production systems.
Pullets reared in aviaries had better skeletal
integrity than those reared in cages.
Hens in the aviary and enriched systems had a
higher incidence of keel bone deviations and/
or fractures than hens in the conventional system.
Hens in conventional cages had the highest
incidence of foot problems, mainly hyperkeratosis.
When hens in the aviary had foot problems they
were more severe than those in conventional or
enriched cages.
The research findings also showed that
conventional and enriched cage hens had
cleaner feathers but worse feather cover than
aviary hens. Hens with large areas of feather
loss lost more body heat than better-feathered
hens. Patterns of feather loss suggested that
hens in conventional and enriched systems lost
feathers due mainly to abrasion against the cage,
while those in the aviary system lost feathers due
to aggressive pecking from other birds.
During the daytime, about 10–17 percent of
hens used the perches in the enriched system
and the perches in the litter area of the aviary
system.
Costs per dozen eggs are highest for eggs
produced in the aviary system, followed by
those from enriched housing and then
conventional housing. Operating costs – feed,
pullet and operating labour costs – were highest
in the aviary system, while the other two
houses were lower, and similar to each other.
Feed comprises the largest share of operating
costs and these findings suggest it was even a
higher share during this period of investigation.
While the price of corn and soybeans have been
historically high, we are not likely to see those
prices go back down to where they were
before 2007, so feed cost differentials will
remain particularly important.
Capital costs are much higher for aviary and
enriched systems than conventional because
of the cost of the barns. No pronounced
operating cost differences were found between
conventional and enriched housing systems.
Worker health and safety
Air-borne particulate matter inside hen houses,
depending on its size, can make its way into
workers’ airways, with smaller particles being
deposited deep into the lungs. Endotoxins
(bacterial toxins), can promote airway irritation
and inflammation, as well as decreased lung
function.
To measure the impact of air quality on worker
health, a total of 123 worker day data samples,
with 41 samples from each of the three housing
systems, were collected from workers who
were randomly assigned to each house,
ensuring equal coverage of each house. Each
of those workers wore a personal exposure
monitor while in the hen houses, sampling for
total suspended particles (TSP, also called
inhalable) of all sizes and smaller particles up
to 2.5 microns in size (PM2.5) through each
of three seasons – summer, winter and spring.
Inhalable particle and PM2.5 concentrations,
as well as endotoxins (bacterial toxins), were
significantly higher in the aviary system when
compared to those in the conventional and
enriched systems, which were not statistically
different from each other. It is believed that
these levels are highest in the aviary system
due to litter (dust bathing material and manure)
left on the floor.
Across the three seasons tested, spring,
summer and winter, the aviary system had
higher inhalable concentrations, PM2.5
concentrations, inhalable endotoxins and
PM2.5 endotoxins.
Lung function and exhaled nitric oxide, both
tests of possible airway inflammation were
measured, along with self-reported occurrence
of respiratory symptoms. Changes in lung
function and exhaled nitric oxide were similar
in the three systems. Average mask use was
higher for those workers in aviary housing,
which may have protected them from greater
respiratory consequences.
Worker ergonomics were also considered, with
tasks classified into three categories indicating
their level of ergonomic risk due to body position
during the task.
Researchers also looked for three main
ergonomic stressors, including force, repetition
and posture.
In the ergonomic review, a number of tasks
stood out as possible risks. Loading and
unloading of cages in the conventional and
enriched colony systems during population and
de-population require extreme body positions,
including squatting for an extended time.
There was also significant twisting while
“herding” the birds and standing on small
diameter railings in these two systems.
Gathering eggs that had been laid on the floor
in aviary systems was also noted as an issue,
as it warranted extreme body positions,
including squatting for an extended period of
time. Further, extreme arm positions over the
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
13
shoulder and reaching to the side, as well as
rapid and extreme hand and wrist positions
were noted. Crawling and lying on the floor to
collect floor eggs also exposes the employee
to potential respiratory hazards, especially if no
respiratory protection is worn, as well as to
potential infection hazards to the hands and
the knees.
Flock One Overview
House Characteristics and Management
Food safety and quality
Egg quality was assessed across multiple
parameters. It was determined that initial egg
quality is not impacted by hen housing type.
Eggs from the three systems were further
assessed using the same measures at four, six
and 12 weeks of cold storage to determine if
housing system impacted the rate of egg
quality decline. Findings showed the hen
housing system did not impact egg quality over
time. Current egg quality standards, written for
conventional egg production, should
adequately define egg quality for commercial
cage-free aviary and enriched colony cages.
Researchers also looked at the effect of
housing type on hens’ immune systems and
Salmonella vaccination effectiveness. An
effective immune response can result in a
better resistance to invasion and colonization
of Salmonella into tissues including ovary and
eggs. The humoral and mucosal antibody levels
of each flock were measured through ELISA
Measurement to determine immune status.
First Flock Summary
Hen Production Performance (19–78 weeks)
Antibody response observed in serum samples
and crop lavage extracts, as detected by ELISA
readers, did not detect evidence of differences
in hens between housing systems; however,
significant seasonal differences were noted.
DISCLAIMER: All results should be treated as
preliminary and have not been subject to peer
review. All results are from a single flock in one
house of each type being studied.
Food Affordability
Operating and Capital Costs per Dozen Eggs
Conventional
Aviary
Feed costs
US$0.395
US$0.408
US$0.394
Production labour costs
US$0.017
US0.057
US$0.047
Pullet cost
US$0.146
US$0.196
US$0.147
Capital cost* (capital
outlay X 10% return)
US$0.042
US$0.138
US$0.104
Sum of major cost
components
US$0.600
US$0.799
US$0.692
Preliminary data
14
Enriched
2 October 2013
Mr Shane Rattenbury
Member for Molonglo
Legislative Assembly for the ACT
GPO Box 1020
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Dear Mr Rattenbury,
Animal Welfare (Factory Farming) Amendment Bill
On behalf of egg farmers across Australia, we are writing to you and all other members of the ACT Legislative Assembly
to express our serious concern at the proposed Animal Welfare (Factory Farming) Amendment Bill.
We represent cage, barn and free range egg farmers from across Australia – some of which are family owned and
operated, employing hundreds of people.
The proposed amendment moved by The Greens is misconceived and misleading, and poses a threat to the reputation
and livelihoods of all Australian egg farmers. Moreover it broadly ignores the complexities associated with different egg
farming methods, and is all the more peculiar given undertakings by the ACT’s sole cage farm operator to phase out cage
systems by 15 May 2016.
There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each of the egg farming systems used throughout Australia.
Independent scientific research shows that the advantages of cage production include protecting hens from disease,
predators and adverse weather conditions. In addition, not only is the mortality rate of cage hens often lower than that
observed in free range farming systems, hen stress levels have been found to be similar across cage, barn and free range
environments, with the key determinants on hen welfare being hen husbandry.1
The Bill’s prohibition of ‘debeaking’ suggests a disturbing level of ignorance about contemporary hen husbandry. While
‘debeaking’ has never been a management practice on egg farms in Australia, beak trimming has all but been phased out,
with only 14% of hens having their beaks trimmed. We believe this figure will drop further over time. Eliminating the
well-known phenomenon of feather pecking and cannibalism in hen populations is now typically achieved through the
application of an infrared light to remove a small portion of the tip of the beak. Around 92 per cent of all day-old chicks
sold in Australia are today treated in this way.
Considering these facts, and noting that the proposed amendments as they relate to egg production will not deliver any
reform in the ACT that has not already been agreed to by the sole industry participant, it is hard not to conclude that this is
ostensibly a political profile-raising exercise. Such a conclusion may also explain why the Bill has not been underpinned by
the sort of industry consultation process that would ordinarily accompany legislative proposals of this nature.
There are, however, serious implications for the industry nationally should other parliaments seek to emulate this
unnecessary amendment. In this context, it is worth noting that the industry has a strong track record of working closely
with governments, regulators and animal welfare groups to improve farming practices and that this is an approach we
propose to uphold in the future.
We urge you therefore to carefully weigh the facts and undertakings outlined in this letter against the intent of the
amendment, and to consider the impact of your vote on egg producers around Australia and the ongoing supply of a great
protein source for all Australians.
Yours sincerely,
Bede Burke
Egg Committee
President
NSW Farmers’
Association
1
Brian Ahmed
Egg Group President
Victorian Farmers’
Federation
John Simpson
President
Commercial Egg
Producers of WA
John Rohde
President
Egg Committee
South Australia
Roger Adams
President
Queensland United
Egg Producers
John Groenwold
President
Tasmanian Commercial
Egg Producers’
Association
(c/- Level 4, 107 Mount St,
North Sydney 2060, NSW.
Ph (02) 9409 6999)
Non-invasive assessment of stress in commercial housing systems; Dr Jeff Downing. University of Sydney
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
15
“
PRODUCER PROFILE
Egganics’
Jaquie Steele
Where is your farm located?
Orange.
When did you purchase your farm
(and how many hens did you have when
you started)?
1993. I always had 6 backyard chooks prior to
commencing egg production on a commercial
scale.
How many chooks do you farm now?
2,500
What type of egg production do you run
now and why?
Pasture raised and organic grain fed. We think
it produces delicious eggs.
How many staff do you employ in your team?
2 casuals.
What do you enjoy most about the egg
industry?
Positive feedback from consumers regarding
our product.
What is the biggest challenge you face
being in the industry now and how has
this affected your business?
The cost and consistent quality of organic feed
and labour costs.
16
What do you think is the most important
message AECL should be promoting to
egg consumers?
Continue to promote the health benefits of
eggs i.e. the mis-representation of cholesterol.
If you could dispel one misconception
about the egg industry, what would it be?
That premium/free range eggs are an
expensive food source.
What is your favourite egg?
Poached on sourdough with Vegemite – yum!
Have you attended an AECL Industry
Forum (and if so) what do you think of
the Forums?
No – I’ve have been too busy on farm to date.
A single egg – plus supplements –
provides a big Vitamin D dose
Under the supervision of Professor Aaron
Cowieson at the University of Sydney, Poultry
CRC PhD student Linda Browning has been
investigating the efficiency of deposition
of vitamin D into egg yolks following
supplementation into the feed of laying hens.
Further to this, she has measured the change
in vitamin D deposition into egg yolk over
time, and the effect that supplementation may
have on the overall performance of the hens.
Linda explained, “The modern commercial
laying hen has been shown to be unique in
its ability to efficiently transfer vitamin D
metabolites from its diet into egg yolk. Eggs
are one of the few natural food sources rich
in vitamin D, and they contain both vitamin D3
(D3) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3)
metabolites of vitamin D”.
The latter is especially useful as it provides
five times the relative biological activity of
vitamin D in the human diet.
“So my research has investigated the in-egg
vitamin D concentrations resulting from
supplementation,” Linda explained.
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
highD3+69.0
250HD3
highD3+34.5
250HD3
highD3+nil
250HD3
mediumD3+69.0
250HD3
mediumD3+34.5
250HD3
mediumD3+nil
250HD3
0
normalD3+69.0
250HD3
The daily recommended dietary allowance
for vitamin D by the USA Food and Nutrition
Board is 400 international units (iu)
(0– 12 months of age), 600 iu (1–70 years
of age), and 800 iu (>71 years of age).
Our Australian National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) have lower daily
intake recommendations for vitamin D, namely
200 iu (0–50 years of age); 400 iu (51–70
years of age) and 600iu (>70 years of age).
Vitamin D content per egg yolk (iu/egg yolk)
800
normalD3+34.5
250HD3
There are few human food sources which
are naturally rich in vitamin D, but egg yolk,
oily fish, meat and milk contain reasonable
concentrations. Interestingly, it is only oily
fish which currently provide significant
quantities of vitamin D in a single serve.
Linda Browning’s project has shown that a single
egg from a laying hen, supplemented with increased
levels of D3 and 25(OH)D3, has the potential to contribute
significantly to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
normalD3+nil
250HD3
Vitamin D is an essential component
of vertebrate metabolism; however
both Australian and global
epidemiological surveys have shown
a chronic vitamin D insufficiency
in the human population. Vitamin D
is essential for good skeletal health,
healthy skin and a sound immune
system and chronic insufficiencies
may cause many diseases including
osteoporosis.
The results of this work look very promising
indeed.
both adults and children without detrimental
effect on hen production parameters.
“Overall D3 content per kilogram of egg yolk
increased as the addition of D3 increased”
said Linda. “And the higher dietary levels of
D3 also significantly increased the 25(OH)D3
content of egg yolk. In contrast, the addition
of 25(OH)D3 in the diet of laying hens also
significantly increased the 25(OH)D3 content
of egg yolk, but not the D3 content of egg yolk”.
“I think it is a most worthwhile story for both
egg producers and egg consumers alike.
The cost at a full dose of vitamin D (10,000 iu
D3 + 69 micrograms 25-hydroxyD3) is only
about 1 cent per dozen eggs”.
Additionally, the hens showed a rapid response
to vitamin D supplementation in the feed, with
a plateauing of total vitamin D deposition as
early as week 3 of the trial.
The research demonstrated a wide variation
in the inherent vitamin D concentration of egg
yolk at day one (of the trial), which could not
be explained by the diet alone because all
birds had consumed the same level of dietary
vitamin D prior to commencement of the trial.
The most likely cause is an inherent genetic
difference between birds in their ability to
transfer vitamin D metabolites across their
intestinal wall and into the yolk.
Surely from a health benefit, cost of
implementation and marketing point of view
these results represents a major win for the
egg industry.
Egg yolk is one of few
human food sources
which are naturally rich
in vitamin D.
Linda Browning’s project has shown that a
single egg from a laying hen, supplemented
with increased levels of D3 and 25(OH)D3,
has the potential to contribute significantly to
the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
17
Egg product now included in the
‘Tick’ program for eggs!
The Heart Foundation’s ‘Tick’ program aims to
promote the development and sale of foods
consistent with healthy eating. Foods with the
Tick are healthier choices among foods of their
type. Egg product is now included in the ‘Tick’
program for eggs. The Heart Foundation regularly
monitors public perception and acceptance of
the ‘Tick’ brand.
The Tick
The trust and relevance of the Tick brand within the community is at
an all time high. Whether they trust the Tick or the Heart Foundation,
or see the Tick as personally relevant to them or their children, overall,
the Tick’s standing within the community has never been stronger.
The improved and positive perception towards the Tick has been influenced
by more and more people reporting companies must pass nutritional criteria
to earn the Tick, and not just improve the nutritional value.
The improved position in the last 18 months has not been isolated to
trust and relevance alone. The changes since late 2011 have also seen
respondents reporting they are always or more often looking out for
the Tick when shopping, increased positive feelings towards the Tick,
increased understanding of what a Tick means on a product and what
companies are required to do.
Since late 2011, the positive impact on those who have seen or heard
advertising featuring the Tick has grown significantly. More respondents
are reporting the advertising is having a positive impact on their opinion
of the Tick and Heart Foundation brands, along with influencing their
purchasing behaviours. Nearly 80% (four in five respondents) reported
they feel positive towards the Heart Foundation and Tick brands as a
result of seeing or hearing advertising featuring the Tick. This is well
up since the commencement of the Herat Foundation’s ‘Tick Tracker’
monitoring. Similarly, more respondents are reporting that they are using
Heart Foundation related sources for information on food and/or nutrition.
‘the healthiness or nutritional value of a product
as a key influencer has increased’
Spending patterns
While shoppers are still visiting supermarkets on a frequent basis,
the level of spending per visit has dropped significantly since 2010.
On the other hand, the proportion of shoppers spending less than
$50 per visit has increased from 18% (in 2010) to 28% in 2013.
However the changes in spending patterns have not influenced decision
making, with the proportion of shoppers stating price is the main thing
that influences their selection between (any) two products, down
compared to previous years. On the other hand, the healthiness or
nutritional value of a product as a key influencer has increased marginally.
One in four respondents continue to report the Heart Foundation Tick
has encouraged them to purchase a product for the first time.
18
Much of the change in public sentiment towards what the Tick means
has occurred in the past 18 months, with fewer respondents focusing on
‘low fat’, ‘low cholesterol’ or ‘low salt’. When asked what the Tick means
on a product, more respondents were now reporting the Tick represents
‘approved by the Heart Foundation’ and ‘tested to meet certain standards.’
Most respondents agree that a product with the Tick is healthier
compared to similar foods, and the product meets certain guidelines
in relation to salt, fat and fibre.
A trend has continued to emerge with more respondents reporting they
‘always’ or ‘most times’ look for the Tick. For the Tick primary target
market (women aged 30 to 44), the proportion ‘always’ or ‘most times’
looking for the Tick has increased slightly since the inception of the
survey in 2010.
Although not all shoppers proactively look for the Tick when shopping,
less than 5% actually feel negative towards the logo. However, more
importantly, more and more respondents are reporting they feel ‘very
positive’ towards the Tick.
more and more respondents ...
feel ‘very positive’ towards the Tick
Trust
Trust and relevance of the Tick brand across the board is at an all time
high. Respondents who trust the Heart Foundation – and thereby trust
the Tick – is at its all time highest.
Personal relevance of the Tick, coupled with relevance to children, is
also at near or all-time high. High levels of trust and relevance are partly
due to perceptions of whether the Tick is stringent in its testing and
whether companies must pass certain criteria to earn the Tick.
Compared to 2010, usage of Heart Foundation information in 2013 is up
significantly. Whether it be from the Heart Foundation website or from
the Tick program, respondents are turning more to the Heart Foundation
for information about food and/or nutrition. Heart Foundation sources of
information continue to be acknowledged as a reliable source of
information on food and/or nutrition.
Heart Foundation Tick
Guidelines for Tick Approval
Eggs
Issue: August 2013
Heart Foundation Tick – Guidelines for Tick Approval – Eggs
The Heart Foundation’s Tick Program aims to promote the development and sale of foods
consistentAugust
with healthy
eating. Foods with the Tick are healthier choices among foods of their
Issued:
2013
type.
The Heart Foundation’s Tick Program aims to promote the development and sale of foods consistent with healthy eating. Foods with the
Tick
are healthier choices among foods of their type.
Notes:

Criteria are based on weights "as sold to the consumer", unless specifically stated “as
Note:reconstituted”.
Criteria are based on weights “as sold to the consumer”, unless specifically stated “as reconstituted”.
Category
Category
Eggs
Eggs
Examples Examples
Criteria
Criteria
Whole, fresh chicken hen eggs in their
Whole,
fresh
chicken
hen
and
shells and
whole,
chicken
heneggs
eggs in their
Theshells
following
textwhole,
must appear The following text must appear legibly on the material and
without their shells – fresh, liquid, dry,
legibly on the material and next to
chicken
hen
eggs
without
their
shells
–
fresh,
liquid,
dry,
next to the Tick mandatory statement:
refrigerated, shelf stable, frozen and
the Tick mandatory statement:
cooked. Nothing
added
except
withNothing
health concerns should
refrigerated,
shelf
stable,
frozen and People
cooked.
processing aids*, food additives* or
seek dietary advice from their doctor
People with health concerns should seek dietary advice
added
water.except processing aids*, foodoradditives*
dietitian. or water.
from their doctor or dietician.
Doesnot
not include
include egg
whites
or eggor egg yolks or any whole
Does
egg
whites
yolks or any whole egg to which
additional
ingredients
have ingredients
been added have been added apart
egg
to which
additional
apart from those listed above
from those listed above
Please note that all rights in the Guidelines for Tick Approval (including copyright) are owned by the National
Heart Foundation of Australia. The Tick Guidelines (and related documentation) should not be distributed to
any third party or used other than for the purposes of assessing a product for potential Tick approval.
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
19
EGG RECIPE
Scrambled Egg, Spicy Stewed Tomatoes,
Sweet Corn and Spring Onion Tortilla
Serves 4 / $3.70 per serve
Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time 20 minutes
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Ingredients
½ cup spring onion, sliced
8 eggs
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
½ cup skim milk
8 tortillas
3 tsp margarine
1 tbsp olive oil
8 tomatoes, large and ripe, chopped
1 – 2 chillies, seeds removed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Pepper and a pinch of sugar to taste
2 tsp margarine
1 cup sweet corn
20
Method
Heat fry pan and add oil, garlic, chilli. Fry
gently while stirring.
Add chopped tomatoes, season and simmer
until soft and thickened, stirring occasionally.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl and
season. In a separate pan melt the margarine
then add the egg mix gently stirring with a
spatula until just cooked.
Place sweet corn and margarine in a plastic
container, heat in the microwave on high for
45 seconds.
Place tortillas into bowls, top with tomato,
eggs, sweet corn, spring onion and coriander.
EGG RECIPE
Beef, Mixed Bean and Spinach Soup
with Poached Egg
Serves: 4 / $4.35 per serve
Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Poach the eggs and set aside.
8 eggs
Freshly ground pepper
Place into bowls, add the egg and garnish
with parsley, seasoning with freshly ground
pepper.
3 cups reduced salt beef stock
1 cup water
200g lean beef, thinly sliced
1 cup mixed vegetables
(carrot, celery, onion, leek, parsnip)
chopped into small dice
1 can (400g) three bean mix
(no added salt)
4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed
Method
Place beef into a saucepan, add stock and
simmer until almost tender then add the
vegetables.
Drain and rinse the beans well under running
water before adding to the stock.
Bring back to a boil.
Add the spinach, simmer for one minute and
season with pepper.
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
21
MARKETING
AECL’s new consumer campaign
One of the key recommendations
of the consumer Usage & Attitude
research that AECL commissioned
in 2012–13 was the need for a
new direction in the overall consumer
communication campaign.
The ‘Eggs Easy As’ campaign has done a
great job in unlocking greater egg
consumption nationally but the rapid growth
witnessed in the early years of the campaign
has lessened in the last year. Not only did
consumption stagnate, in the last NewsPoll
results, the positive trend witnessed in
decreasing the cholesterol myth has lost
momentum as well. After a steady decline of
consumers’ concern about cholesterol, 39%
of consumers claimed that the reason they
did not consume more eggs was based on
cholesterol, this was an increase of 4%.
Secondly, the egg rejecters segment grew
as well by 4% to 29% of the population.
In order to combat this negative trend and to
get egg consumption on an upwards path
again, AECL reviewed its promotional strategy
and tendered the creative account to ensure
it had the right creative partner to bring the
campaign to life. After a three phase pitch
process, AECL’s panel made the unanimous
decision to work together with Elevencom, a
small boutique agency in Sydney. The reasons
why the panel selected Elevencom was their
enthusiasm displayed for eggs, the amount of
knowledge the team had already gathered
about eggs and eggs’ place within the market,
and a proposed creative strategy that will give
eggs the momentum to unlock sustainable
growth in the industry over the next five years.
The key to unlocking greater egg
consumption
The answer is straightforward, by going back
to basics; eggs and breakfast are synonymous
so therefore the strategy for 2013–14 is to
promote eggs as the healthiest, and tastiest,
breakfast option.
The last five years have been a ‘who’ based
strategy which was formulated around AECL’s
target audience of Sharon (the ‘Can’t Cook,
Won’t Cook’ segment), for the coming period,
AECL is suggesting to move the strategy to an
22
occasion based campaign which will broaden
the audience appeal.
Both the United States and the United Kingdom
have run very long term promotional strategies
based on the link between eggs and breakfast
which has resulted in increased consumption.
Secondly, AECL will commence focusing
on the positive health benefits of eggs whilst
still chipping away on the cholesterol and
fats myths.
buyers between the ages of 25 and 54,
irrespective of their cooking skills or household
income. This means that AECL’s target
audience has grown to 66% of egg
consumers in Australia.
Whilst researching the market, AECL found
that both the ‘foodie’ segment and ‘can’t cook,
won’t cook’ segment are equally motivated by
nutrition focused messages.
Continued next page
Research indicated that both consumers as
healthcare professionals struggle to list any
other positive health benefits linked with
consuming eggs besides eggs’ high protein
content. When both audiences find out about
the 11 vitamins and minerals, this is an
incredibly motivating message which will
tempt them to increase their consumption.
Thirdly, breakfast, as well as morning snacking,
is low hanging fruit for the egg category, those
occasions already dominate consumers’
mindsets and behaviour and on top of that,
dinner is a very crowded space to compete in.
If the campaign succeeds in its goal, of AECL’s
target audience only having one more egg
based breakfast a week, this will increase
consumption by 50%.
But as mentioned before, just breakfast is not
enough – it is ‘breakfast with benefits’, and
especially the morning satiety story and the
fact eggs contain all vitamins and minerals
besides vitamin C, are exceptionally motivating.
Leading the long term strategy with a nutritional
based messages means that in the coming
years, AECL can shift the focus from breakfast
to other meal occasions once the time is right.
Target audience
In addition to changing the way AECL
positions eggs, there has also been a shift in
target audience. As reported in previous
editions of Eggstra Eggstra, Sharon has been
the target audience for the last five years.
AECL was very familiar with the audience and
it was a very well defined segment. However,
to achieve the growth in the egg consumption
sought by the industry, Sharon is not enough
as a segment. Therefore the audience has
been broadened to all female main grocery
Top image: USA Campaign.
Bottom image: UK Campaign.
Egg meal occasions throughout the day.
Most appealing messages to AECL’s target audience.
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EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
23
MARKETING
Continued from previous page
This ‘new’ information is not only of interest
to consumers, it has also proven to cross the
gap between consumers and healthcare
professionals (HCPs) who are also very
interested in the satiety and vitamins and
minerals messages.
So what will the new campaign look like?
Eggs will be repositioned as being unbeatable!
This message will be communicated through
a series of humorous, yet informative, TV
advertisements which will air on both free-to-air
and subscription TV as well as online.
The campaign will be supported by an
integrated PR campaign and tactical campaigns
around key events in the egg promotional
calendar such as World Egg Day, Pancake Day
and Easter.
Stay tuned for the November Forum and next
edition of Eggstra Eggstra where the new
campaign creative will be unveiled!
A sneak peak at the new campaign.
GPCE Conference – Brisbane
The Egg Nutrition Council (ENC) has been
participating in GPCE conference for the last
three years; however, 2013 was the first year that
the ENC attended the conference in Brisbane.
GPCE is the largest conference of its kind in Australia. It offers two
streams of scientific programs – one dedicated to General Practitioners
and one aimed at Practice Nurses. Both audiences can also attend the
trade exhibition. GPCE conferences are held in Sydney, Brisbane,
Melbourne and Perth throughout the year.
ENC’s involvement at the Brisbane conference was a stand at the trade
exhibition while ENC’s cardiologist Karam Kostner educated the
healthcare professional audience on any lingering myths concerning
eggs and cholesterol.
The ENC presentation had more than 90% occupancy, and at the trade
booth ENC added 100 new subscribers to its bi-monthly email
newsletter. This was a great success as total conference attendance
was 600 healthcare professionals.
One of the activities ENC undertakes at healthcare conferences is a
questionnaire circulated at the trade exhibition. This helps the ENC
understand its target audience better and ensures that any planned
activities and collateral development meet the needs of the healthcare
professional audience.
Images: ENC Member Dr Karam Kostner presenting to GPs and
Practice Nurses.
24
Boost your nutrition knowledge
Online Education for Healthcare Professionals
As the rate of chronic disease like obesity and
diabetes in Australia grows, nutrition and healthy
living is a hot topic and it’s increasingly important for
us to keep up to date with a vast array of nutrition
information.
As a direct result of this, a new interactive education program has
recently been launched – ‘Healthy Eating – Managing Good Nutrition’.
The one hour accredited education program, which was developed
based on the updated Australian Dietary Guidelines, focuses on
nutritional recommendations for people at different life stages.
Whether the healthcare professional needs a quick refresher on the
latest dietary information or wants to gain a deeper understanding of
healthy eating, the education activity will allow healthcare professionals
to confidently and accurately provide nutrition advice to their clients.
The free education program is an initiative of the Egg Nutrition Council
(ENC), a group of leading health and nutrition experts who are
committed to providing scientifically substantiated nutrition advice.
Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Sharon Natoli and her team at Food
& Nutrition Australia counsel clients daily on a wide range of nutrition
related issues including pregnancy, food allergy and intolerance and
heart health. Sharon knows first-hand how useful the new education
program is.
“Exercise and good nutrition come hand in hand. The education program
is a valuable resource for many healthcare professionals including
personal trainers and fitness industry professionals to help them up-skill
and boost their nutrition knowledge.
“The program contains a series of information, videos and questions
to allow fitness professionals to gauge their own level of understanding
about nutrition guidelines. The interactive program delivers a more
tangible education experience, and the ‘real-life’ videos help put the
information into context,” says Sharon.
Sharon, who is also a member of the ENC, went on to discuss the
nutritional value of eggs.
“Not only are eggs packed full of 11 different vitamins and minerals,
they are also protein rich and will help keep you fuller for longer,
especially when eaten at the beginning of the day. My preference is
boiled eggs, as they are quick and easy to prepare, and can be eaten
on the go,” says Sharon.
The program is divided in four topics:
• Pregnancy and healthy eating
• Allergies and healthy eating
• Cholesterol and healthy eating
• Older adults and healthy eating
The program has already proven to fill a gap in the market with over
120 completions in the first month if the program being launched
To complete the ‘Healthy Eating – Managing Good Nutrition’ education
program visit www.thinkgp.com.au/enc. To find out more about the ENC,
please visit www.enc.org.au.
AECL Calendar 2014
AECL’s much awarded
recipe calendar is available
for order again, this print
run is larger than the
previous 8 years to ensure
AECL can fulfil as many
orders as possible and not
disappoint anyone.
To make the recipe calendar even
more attractive, you can get the
calendar personalised with your
business name and contact details
which will be printed on each
month. To order personalised
calendars, the additional costs
are as follows:
There is a great variety
of recipes in this year’s
edition, from breakfast to
desserts and everything
in between.
500 units
250 units
1,000 units
* AECL also requests an extra
50 cents per unit ordered to
cover postage and handling
costs.
For more information, or to
order your copies, please
contact Yelli Kruger at AECL
E: [email protected]
$ 792.00 + GST $1,045 + GST
$1,558.00 + GST
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
25
INDUSTRY RESEARCHERS
By John Fitzsimmons
Professor Julie Roberts
University of New England
Canada and the USA – again on the physiology of birds only this
time focusing on kidney function – deeper biochemistry.
Around this time, the mid-1980s, the University of New England was
looking for a teacher-lecturer on renal (kidney) physiology – not
especially in birds – in fact more generally on mammals. Prof. Rob
Cumming – well known in poultry circles – was on the selection
committee for that position and was familiar with Julie’s work on kidney
function because he had done a lot of research on infectious bronchitis
virus in chickens. In Australia one of the most common forms of this
virus attacks the kidneys. The links were forming.
Prof Cumming urged Julie to do some research work with chickens,
suggesting she seek funding from the Poultry Research Council (of
which she knew very little). So Prof Cumming was instrumental in
getting Julie Roberts to work with chickens other than as a laboratory
bird – not from an industry point of view.
Just how did someone who started out as a mainly
marine zoologist in Queensland come to be a leading
poultry researcher in New England, via South
Australia, Canada and the USA? The key lies not
so much in the species studied but more in the
biological processes that linked the studies.
That’s what brought Professor Julie Roberts to
the University of New England and our industry.
Biological scientist Julie Roberts was “always interested in how things
work and how living things survived in their environments”. Her father
was an engineer and she recalled that, had she been a male, she
probably would have studied engineering but that was a path not
encouraged for young women in those times.
Her academic journey began at Queensland’s James Cook University as
a zoologist dealing with (not surprisingly given the location) mostly
marine species. She then built on her original Bachelor’s Degree by
gaining her PhD, on the physiology of two species of quail – especially
the animals’ energy-water balances, at South Australia’s Flinders
University, while working concurrently as a tutor in biological sciences.
That sparked her interest in avian species.
She then worked in the medical science school of the University of New
South Wales for 12 months before commencing post-Doctoral studies in
26
The next step in Julie’s “conversion” of working with chickens was
through another respected industry researcher – Dr. Jeff Fairbrother –
who was looking for new young researchers to enter the field. An
eggshell quality workshop had been organised in Sydney in 1988, in
which Associate Prof. Derick Balnave (now retired Research Director)
from University of Sydney played a prominent role. He had been
researching the effects of saline drinking water on eggshell quality in
laying hens. This offered some connection to Julie Roberts’ research
on kidney function in birds and electrolyte and water balance in birds.
Things were all coming together.
Bob Hughes from University of Adelaide, another researcher on
eggshell quality was also at that conference. So these people were
Julie Roberts’ introduction to shell quality. She had come from a
background studying kidney function in birds to talking with Bob
Hughes about kidney function and shell quality. This resulted in
Julie and Derick forming a research proposal to address this issue
of eggshell quality and saline drinking water, looking at some of the
physiological aspects as well.
She has been working on this subject, and other aspects of egg quality,
in various ways ever since.
This included subsequent research with Prof. Sally Solomon from the
University of Glasgow; Prof. Solomon was well known for research work
on shell structure. Her research group has carried on this work.
Research later returned to the subject of infectious bronchitis virus
including research by a former student of Julie Roberts, as a postGraduate and post-Doctoral researcher – Kapil Chousalkar – at the
University of Adelaide. Kapil is now a senior lecturer at that university
and still doing work relevant to the egg industry. We knew that infectious
bronchitis aivirus affected the kidneys, and we knew that it affected
eggshell quality but there had been an “astoundingly” small amount of
research done on the oviduct!
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“Surely somebody would have looked at the oviduct – the organ that
produces the shell?” Julie queried. “So Kapil did some very nice work
looking at the shell gland and the rest of the oviduct of the laying hen.
While still considering eggshell quality, we looked a lot closer at the
disease and the histological structure and the electron-microscopical
structure of the shell gland and other parts of the oviduct.”
Other work on eggshell quality in laying hens followed including some
large scale industry-wide surveys.
“We have had some tremendous co-operation, I must say, all the way
along the line from the producers. I’ve got the greatest respect for our
egg producers in Australia; they are extremely nice people, very good
operators – these days of course they have to be or they don’t survive
– but we had tremendous co-operation from so many of the producers
with our research. A lot of it we just couldn’t have done without that
co-operation. It’s something we value enormously.”
Julie Roberts figures she has received 17 grants from AECL and its
predecessor/s and is working on two current grants – the importance of
pullet uniformity (with Dr Greg Parkinson, Mr Rowly Horn and Dr Kapil
Chousalkar), and the importance of shell colour and factors that affect it
– what causes shell deterioration and what can be done to prevent that
(with veterinarian Dr Peter Scott from Scolexia in Melbourne).
Julie Roberts is now an Associate Professor at UNE, teaching
undergraduates, supervising post-graduate researchers, she is course
co-ordinator for UNE’s courses in rural science, agriculture and animal
science – a lot of time advising students and overseeing their progress,
plus general administration and research.
“We have had a very good relationship with AECL and its predecessors
and there are a lot of people in the industry – large and small – who
have been really co-operative and really helpful.”
Julie Roberts considers herself lucky to have enjoyed her research
career back in Australia. She really likes UNE’s host city of Armidale,
has become greatly interested in her egg industry work and, while she
thinks she still spends far too much time at work, still has time for music,
theatre and bushwalking and membership of the local Lions club.
(*In 2010 The poultry industry and CRC personnel gathered in
Sydney to thank “one of the industry’s most respected statesmen”,
Jeff Fairbrother, for an invaluable contribution to the poultry industry’s
development and success over the previous 40 years. Dr Fairbrother
served as the Poultry CRC’s Chair from 2003 until 2010. He was
instrumental in getting the industry behind the Poultry CRC in 2002–03,
and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008 for his
services to the poultry industry through research and advisory roles,
and the development of regulatory policies on animal health and welfare
and food safety standards)
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EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
27
Hen Support:
Could your flocks be
producing more eggs?
A new web-based tool to help reduce hen mortalities and improve performance called Hen Support
(www.hensupport.com.au) is to be launched at the AECL Forum in Perth. Once launched, all AECL
members will have free access to Hen Support for one year due to AECL’s investment in the program.
“Hen Support is a great resource for members. It gives straight to
the point, best practice information on how to approach disease,
husbandry and nutrition related issues.” said Angus Crossan, AECL’s
R&D Program Manager.
If you are not a member of AECL, please contact Hen Support to find
out how you can also access the site (E: [email protected]).
What is Hen Support?
Hen Support is an online tool which provides information and advice
on how to improve egg production in terms of quality and quantity.
Even a small increase in hen mortalities or a decrease in egg production
can affect the bottom line.
Hen Support is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week giving
answers to disease, husbandry and nutrition questions. Hen Support
will help farm staff to identify clinical signs of disease so that they can
accurately describe what they are seeing or hearing, ensuring issues
are dealt with properly and quickly.
Hen Support has been developed with the assistance of Australian and
international veterinarians, scientists, nutritionists and poultry producers.
The site is constantly being updated to ensure the latest scientific evidence
is considered (e.g. for conditions caused by nutritional deficiencies).
What are Hen Support’s specific features?
Hen Support offers two main features, with a third coming online in
early 2014:
1. Diagnostics Tool: Is there something not quite right with one or more
of your hens? Could small changes be made to the production system to
improve the overall profitability of your flocks? Hen Support’s diagnostics
tool asks between five and 25 questions about the health and
performance of your hens and recommends what should be done next.
2. Library: This resource offers straightforward information and
solutions on over 120 disorders (diseases, syndromes and husbandry
issues). Instead of reading a number of long articles about the issue
on various websites, users are given one page of succinct advice
on the problem and how to address it. Users will also gain an
understanding of the economic impact of the disorder on a business
and find information on how to prevent the issue reoccurring.
3. Nutrient centre: This tool will be launched in early 2014. It will
provide an overview of the latest nutrition information including advice
on what to feed your hens for maximum output with consideration of
your facilities and the type and life stage of your hens.
28
How did Hen Support come about?
In 1975, Dr Horacio Jose Jimenez, better known as ‘Dr H’, wanted
to provide his veterinary students with a better way to classify poultry
diseases. Dr H spent many years perfecting his expert system and
has now turned his dream into reality for the benefit of Australia egg
producers. Dr H has had an extensive and diverse career in poultry.
He has been a university Professor in Veterinary Science, run a disease
diagnostics laboratory, and currently owns a small egg farm in Victoria.
How do I access Hen Support?
During November, AECL members will receive an email with login and
password details which provides access to all the features of Hen
Support for a full year. If you do not receive an email please contact
Hen Support, E: [email protected]. If you are not a member
of AECL, please contact Hen Support to find out how you can also
access the site (E: [email protected]).
IN THE MEDIA
Source: Poultryworld (Philip Clarke)
France:
Help for
loss-making
egg
producers
French agriculture minister
Stephane le Foll has recently
instigated a three-point plan to
help beleaguered Breton egg
producers return to profit.
The announcement was made following a
week of protests in which local egg producers
dumped hundreds of thousands of eggs
outside municipal offices. The demonstrators,
who were reportedly not affiliated with any
upgrading of facilities and would therefore
like to offer it a future,” a statement said.
particular union, blamed new EU welfare
legislation, price pressure from supermarkets
and high feed costs for their predicament.
While not involved in the demonstrations,
Yves-Marie Beaudet, president of the egg
section of the Union of Breton Meat Producers
(UGPVB) welcomed the Minister’s pledge to
boost export demand, and said his members
would support efforts to contain production.
In a statement, the French government
acknowledged that the market was out of
balance, with production having increased
by 25% over the previous 10 months.
Mr Foll suggested three courses of action:
• Restore market equilbrium by encouraging
the development of more export demand as
well as non-food uses for eggs. He pledged
to involve state agencies in this effort and
to coordinate the donation of up to 250,000
eggs a week to charities.
• Help producers in immediate difficulty by
offering tax breaks, urging a more
benevolent approach from the banks and
encouraging them to apply for cash aid from
the Mutualitie Sociale Agriculture (MSA)
• Provide better market information and set
up a meeting with supermarkets to discuss
contracts.
“The Minister believes in this sector in which
the state has invested €11 million during the
He said that it was costing French egg
producers €7 to produce 100 eggs for
which they were being paid just €5.
As well as the new welfare legislation and
pressure from supermarkets, French egg
producers also blame the EU Commission’s
removal of export subsidies in 2012. The
Commission denies this link and has ruled
out intervention. “We are in a market
adjustment process – not in a crisis,”
a Commission spokesman said.
Brittany accounts for about 45% of all French
egg production. Local producers allowed
15 days for the Minister’s measures to take
effect before returning to direct action.
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EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY
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SPRING 2013
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29
IN THE MEDIA
Source: farminguk.com
UK House of Commons U-turns on
vaccinated flocks
The UK House of Commons has
moved to avoid another embarrassing
rift with egg producers following an
earlier omelette-gate row.
Both the UK egg industry and politicians
reacted angrily to the revelation that House of
Commons chefs were avoiding the use of fresh
British eggs when making scrambled eggs
and omelettes. Commons officials claimed
that the chefs’ use of liquid pasteurised eggs
from Holland was on the advice of the Food
Standards Agency (FSA), although the FSA
responded by saying no such advice existed.
A review of the policy was ordered following
complaints from politicians and representatives
of the UK egg industry. The Commons
subsequently announced a U-turn, the Clerk
of the House of the Commons saying that,
in future, the Commons restaurant would use
fresh British eggs.
“Fresh Lion brand stamped British eggs will be
used to prepare omelettes and scrambled eggs
in ‘to order’ outlets. For large-scale production
of egg-based dishes, liquid pasteurised egg
will continue to be used in line with industry
best practice. This pasteurised egg will now be
sourced from British producers. The House of
Commons Catering Service has a five star food
safety rating and this change of policy remains
consistent with these very high standards.”
However, Commons officials have now moved
to avoid upsetting producers whose eggs are
produced through different quality assurance
schemes from Lion. A spokeswoman for the
Commons said that the wording of the new
policy will be amended to include eggs sourced
from any British vaccinated flocks rather than
from solely Lion flocks.
The new statement avoids the Commons
becoming embroiled in a row like one involving
the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA)
following a complaint that environmental health
officers were wrongly advising that consumers
should buy only Lion eggs. The issue was
pursued by Tony Burgess of Birchgrove Eggs,
who uses SALSA (the Safe and Local Supplier
Approval scheme) and who is also a Freedom
Food producer, and who persuaded the FSA
to issue clear guidance that all commercially
produced eggs in the United Kingdom were
produced under the National Control Program
for Salmonella and were subject to the same
Salmonella controls.
Mr Burgess complained to the FSA after
seeing an episode of the BBC series Food
Inspectors, in which an environmental health
officer said that consumers should only buy
or use Lion coded eggs because they were
vaccinated against Salmonella. He eventually
received a letter from the FSA to say that “the
agency intends to write to all local authorities
shortly to re-iterate the position on the controls
which apply to eggs. As you mention in your
email, under EU legislation there is a National
Control Program (NCP) for Salmonella in
laying hens, which has been in place in the
UK since 2008. The NCP is implemented by
Defra (Department for Food, Environment &
Rural Affairs) and we recognise that all eggs
produced in the UK should comply with this
standard. Similar controls are required to be
followed in other EU member states.”
Having won his argument with the FSA over
the credibility of non-Lion eggs, he was
dejected to see that the House of Commons
was about to specify solely Lion eggs.
“I am disappointed because the National
Control Program is something that is operated
by one of their own departments, Defra.
They should know that it covers all commercially
produced eggs in this country, not just Lion eggs.”
Mr Burgess said that he could see that it must
have been embarrassing for Lion – after all the
work it had put into lobbying in Westminster
– to find that the chefs were avoiding fresh
British eggs in favour of imported liquid egg,
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but he said the fact was that all commercially
produced British eggs were safe, not just Lion
ones.
After it was pointed out to House of Commons
staff that a previous row had arisen over
environmental health officers recommending
only Lion eggs, it said that it would re-word its
policy again.
Tony Burgess said he was pleased that the
House of Commons had agreed to the change,
as eggs produced under schemes like SALSA
or ‘Laid in Britain’ complied with the same NCP
standard as Lion eggs. Under the National
Control Program it is a legal requirement that all
UK farms with more than 350 laying hens test
their flocks for Salmonella. Defra told the
Ranger that NCP figures showed that the
United Kingdom has the lowest incidence of
Salmonella of all the major egg producing
countries in the European Union (EU). The most
recent NCP results showed UK prevalence
levels were as low as 0.25% for Salmonella
enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium.
Included in the House of Commons statement
announcing that chefs would in future use
fresh British eggs was a comment from
Dr Lisa Ackerley, visiting Professor of
Environmental Health at the University of
Salford and Managing Director of Hygiene
Audit Systems. She said, “Salmonella
poisoning in the UK has decreased
dramatically in recent years, thanks to the
vaccination program for British eggs, together
with good industry practice of using
pasteurised eggs for lightly cooked dishes.
Source: Worldpoultry
Source: worldpoultry.net
Salmonella
Russia to
double egg trends
exports in
2013
The Russian poultry industry will
reduce the growth rate of production
but will double the export of eggs
in 2013, Vladimir Fisinin of the
Russian Union of Poultry Farmers
(Rosptitsesoyuz) said recently.
“The growth rate of poultry production this
year will fall. As a result, poultry production
will reach 3.8 million tonnes compared with
3.55 million tonnes last year,” he said.
According to Mr Fisinin, the slowdown is due
to the fact that the industry has not received
necessary grants in time.
“If the promised money was transferred to
the businesses in time, such a reduction
would not be evident,” he said.
He predicted that, in contrast, Russian egg
exports this year will amount to 275–300 million
units which is almost double the level of last year.
“Almost all egg exports go to Mongolia; for
instance, last year we sent 155 million eggs
there,” he said.
Since the mid-1980s human
salmonellosis through the
consumption of Salmonella
entiritidis contaminated eggs
has increased dramatically.
S. entiritidis seems to possess intrinsic
properties that cause a unique interaction
with the chicken reproductive tract and the
egg components. Eggs become contaminated
during their formation and the main colonisation
site for S. entiritidis is the magnum part of the
oviduct, despite the presence of anti-microbial
egg white, where they can survive for several
hours at the chicken’s body temperature of 42oC.
Underlying are unique survival mechanisms
which, based on practical information
regarding risk factors, include stress survival
responses and anti-microbial resistance
mechanisms against host peptides and cell
wall components.
Knowledge of risk factors has also contributed
to the development of prevention and control
of S. entiritidis infections in layers and eggs.
Colonisation of the gut and internal organs of
layers should be minimised by preventing egg
shell contamination. To control systemic spread
to internal organs and subsequent internal egg
contamination, vaccination has been applied
successfully.
Source: Poultryworld
EU not forcing welfare rules on
Ukraine eggs
The EU Commission has indicated that imports of eggs and egg products from Ukraine will not be subject to
the same high welfare standards as required by EU egg producers, despite the creation of a free trade area.
In a letter to the EU packers and traders body
EUWEP, the Commission said that, according to
international trade agreements, the EU cannot
impose EU law on third countries. Furthermore,
under the terms of the EU-Ukraine Association
Agreement made last year, but still awaiting
ratification, there is no time limit set out for the
Ukrainian authorities to “approximate EU
legislation on animal welfare”.
The letter did indicate however that, within three
months of the agreement taking effect, the
Ukraine will have to submit “a comprehensive
strategy for the implementation of the sanitaryphytosanitary chapter”.
“Until the process of approximation of animal
welfare legislation has been completed, the EU
will import product of animal origin – including
eggs – from Ukraine under the same conditions
as for third countries”.
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
31
FAO warns on bird flu viruses
The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has issued a new warning to the
international community that the H7N9 and H5N1 avian influenza viruses continue to pose
serious threats to human and animal health, especially in view of the upcoming flu season.
“The world is more prepared than ever
before to respond to bird flu viruses in
light of a decade of work on H5N1 and
the recent response to H7N9,” said FAO
Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth at
a joint meeting with United States Agency
for International Development (USAID),
WHO and the World Organisation for
Animal Health (OIE). Heads of FAO
Reference Centres in Australia, the People’s
Republic of China, Italy and the United
States were also in attendance, along with
representatives from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the
United States Department of Agriculture.
“However, constant vigilance is required,”
Mr Lubroth said.
“Bird flu viruses continue to circulate
in poultry. Efforts must continue and
be strengthened, not only in affected
countries, but also in neighbouring states
and areas with strong trade linkages.
This is especially true for H7N9 since it
causes no clinical signs in birds and is
therefore very difficult to detect in poultry.”
Along these lines, FAO has committed
US$2 million of emergency funding
supplemented by over US$5m from
USAID to kick-start H7N9 response
efforts. USAID support has enabled
FAO to help countries at risk dramatically
improve surveillance capacities.
“Several at-risk countries previously
unable to pick up the virus can now
accurately detect H7N9,” explained
Lubroth. “Identifying the virus with
consistency is critical to targeting
control efforts and reducing spread.”
Dennis Carroll, Director of USAID’s
Emerging Threats Program, added,
“The early detection and excellent
characterization of the H7N9 virus
by Chinese experts has created an
unprecedented opportunity to mount
a coordinated effort to stop the further
spread of the virus – and thwart a
possible global event.
32
Significant progress over the past decade
in forging national and international
partnerships and validating interventions
for control of avian influenza can be
immediately adapted to addressing the
threat posed by the H7N9 virus.”
Surveillance is key
FAO and USAID stress that more work
is required. In the short term this includes
continued, targeted surveillance and
trace-back throughout the production and
marketing system, contingency planning
and compensation scheme development.
“The emergence of the H7N9 virus
serves as yet another reminder that new
disease threats are not the exception,
but a predictable consequence of events
occurring at the human-animal interface,”
said Carroll.
“It is important we continue to monitor
future threats while at the same time
improving the practices and behaviours
associated with livestock production and
marketing that can make it easier for
diseases to emerge and affect animals
and people,” he said.
“Surveillance is key, and with support
from key partners like USAID, we’re
making progress,” said Lubroth.
“In addition to helping countries detect the
virus, we need to make sure authorities
can trace-back the virus to its points of
origin and better understand how the virus
is circulating so as to design effective
control actions. Where appropriate we
need to help governments put together
contingency plans for the possible
detection of the virus and compensation
schemes for assisting those affected by
control efforts.”
In the longer-term fight against H7N9 and
other viruses, FAO and USAID are urging
countries to invest in improving the way
they market and sell poultry.
“We need keep our eyes on the bigger
picture of promoting healthy food systems,
especially when it comes to animal
production and marketing,” said Lubroth.
“Restructuring can create healthier, safer
markets by developing facilities that
employ proper food safety and hygiene
measures. Since animals, and therefore
viruses, are inevitably gathered at markets,
keeping these markets clean and safe
reduces the chances for viruses and other
pathogens to spread. Healthy markets
mean healthy birds, and that means
improved public health, better food
security and more sustainable livelihoods.”
FAO continues its call for funds to bolster
the global H7N9 response. FAO is urging
countries to make key investments in
improving markets and promoting healthy
food systems to fight viruses affecting
animals and humans as part of overarching
efforts to ensure the animal sector realizes
its potential in the promotion of healthy
and productive lives
NSW AI cases
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries recently managed an outbreak of
H7 Avian Influenza at two egg farms near Young. In a statement the DPI said the virus is
definitely not the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has gained worldwide attention – nor
is it closely related to that strain.
The depopulation of birds at each infected farm has been
completed in line with national agreements and best practice
biosecurity standards. NSW Health and the NSW Environment
and Protection Authority (EPA) were closely involved in the
depopulation of the birds. Decontamination of the infected
properties was commenced.
It is believed that the second case is linked to the initial outbreak
and investigations are underway to determine if this is the case.
Both farms remain under strict quarantine and all movements on
and off the properties are being controlled. Surveillance, tracing
and testing was begun to determine if the virus has spread to any
further farms.
DPI remains vigilant, and was closely monitoring birds at a number
of other properties which may have links to the infected farms.
Australia has previously had a small number of outbreaks of Avian
Influenza viruses which were all quickly and successfully eradicated.
The NSW Food Authority has confirmed that there are no food
safety issues and that poultry and eggs remain safe to eat.
The Authority’s usual advice for eggs is avoid eating raw eggs
and do not eat eggs that are cracked or dirty.
Advice remains for backyard poultry owners in the Young and
Cowra districts to check the health of their birds daily and to
report any unusual signs.
People who notice sick or dead birds should contact
their local veterinarian or call the Emergency Animal
Disease Watch Hotline T: 1800 675 888
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EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS WINTER 2013
33
Research & Development
FLOCK HEALTH
A national
approach to
long term
Newcastle
Disease
management
Management
plan 2013–16
now available
online
The prevention of Australianorigin Newcastle disease (AoND)
in Australia has been managed
under the National Newcastle
Disease Management Plan
2008–2012 following
management plans that were
in effect in 2002–03, 2003–04
and 2005–07. The Newcastle
Disease Management Plan
Steering Committee has
subsequently developed a
management plan that will
operate for the period 2013–16.
The goal remains a vaccination program
that mitigates the risk of an AoND outbreak,
protects the status of non-infected flocks
and regions, and reduces the social and
economic impacts of ND. There have been
no outbreaks since compulsory vaccination
commenced under the first plan.
The 2013 –16 plan is a continuation of the
2008 –12 version, consistent with previous
modifications designed to reduce the
amount of vaccination required by the
standard operating procedures (SOPs). The
SOPs include information on, vaccination
programs, sampling protocols and
serological targets for vaccination outcomes.
The vaccination program aims to displace
precursor strains of ND virus. A national
approach to prevention and management is
required to reduce the prevalence of
circulating precursor ND viruses that may
mutate into virulent forms, resulting in
clinical disease. The revised plan includes
vaccination (according to the nationally
agreed SOPs) of commercial domestic
chickens in all states and territories. This
integrated national approach ultimately aims
to minimise vaccination required to prevent
outbreaks of AoND.
The National ND Management Plan aims
to engage a broad range of stakeholders
including poultry farmers and processors,
poultry organisations, governments, avian
societies and ratite industries.
The Australian Egg Corporation’s QA program
requires producers to operate in accordance
with state legislation for all requirements
including vaccination. Compliance is
audited by a registered third party auditor.
The New Castle Disease Management
Plan 2013 –16 and the revised Vaccination
SOPs are now available on the AHA
website. Please visit http://www.
animalhealthaustralia.com.au/programs/
biosecurity/newcastle-diseasemanagement-plan/ (scroll to the bottom
of the page).
Background
34
•
Newcastle disease (ND) is a viral disease
of domestic poultry and wild birds, which is
characterised by gastrointestinal, respiratory
and nervous signs.
•
The virus strains that cause ND can be
categorised into three different types,
based on their virulence in chickens.
•
The epidemiology (host species, clinical and
pathological signs and modes of transmission)
of ND is not completely understood.
•
ustralia is now free from virulent ND,
A
however, there were a number of cases in
the late 1990s and early 2000s where a
virulent virus (unique to Australia) emerged
from an avirulent ND virus of Australian
origin. This prompted a national survey for
ND virus distribution.
•
In 2002 the National Newcastle Disease
Management Plan 2002–04 was
developed and the National Newcastle
Disease Steering Committee formed.
The plan followed a risk management
approach, addressing goals for the
long-term control of ND, as agreed by
industry and government stakeholders.
Disease file:
Tuberculosis
In poultry tuberculosis, which is sometimes called mycobacteriosis
and often shortened to just TB or avian TB, is caused by
Mycobacterium avium. Avian tuberculosis is a chronic, contagious
disease that persists in a flock.
In many countries avian tuberculosis is rarely seen in large commercial flocks but it is seen
from time to time in backyard flocks. In some countries it is re-emerging in free range
flocks. Avian tuberculosis can occur in man, so this disease has a public health significance.
History
This disease was first described in
chickens in the 1880s. This is a disease
which declined with the housing and
integration of poultry. The disease is an
important one in wild bird collections
(probably due in part to the age of many
birds in such collections).
Clinical signs
Unthriftiness, depressed egg production
and death are the commonly seen signs.
Occasionally comb and wattles have a
bluish colour. Signs of jaundice are seen
when there is severe liver involvement.
Once the bird has become emaciated it is
usually possible to feel nodular masses in
the abdominal cavity along the intestines.
Often there is a unilateral lameness due to
a tuberculous arthritis.
Pathology
Tubercular lesions are commonly seen in
the liver, spleen, intestines and bone
marrow (in all granuloma formation is
usually seen) and less frequently in heart,
ovaries, testes and skin. Livers and
spleens are enlarged and hence more
prone to rupture, which usually results in a
fatal haemorrhage. Ingestion of M. avium
results in intestinal infection with eventual
spread into the blood system. Transmission
of M. avium around the body via the blood
results in lesions in a variety of organs.
Diagnosis
A presumptive diagnosis can usually be
made on the basis of gross lesions and
the confirmation of acid-fast bacteria in
smears taken from these lesions. A
tuberculin skin test can be used to confirm
the presence of avian tuberculosis in a
flock as can ELISA or whole blood
agglutination blood tests.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis is the differential
diagnosis of granulomatous conditions.
The differential diagnosis should include
Hjarre’s disease (coligranuloma), pullorum
disease, other salmonella infections,
Staphylococcus infections, fowl cholera,
aspergillosis and neoplastic conditions
such as Marek’s disease and leucosis.
Control
Removal of infected birds reduces
environmental contamination and the
infections that arise from this. Control
centres around depopulation and
removing anything that could be
contaminated with M. avium.
Vaccination
Various test vaccines have been evaluated
over the years but currently there is no
commercially available tuberculosis
vaccine for poultry.
Medication
In man anti-tuberculosis drugs are
available, but their use in poultry is neither
practical or cost effective.
*Based on International Pountry
Production’s Poultry Health Bytes
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
35
Research & Development
Written by Jojo Jackson, AECL, based on a report by Kate Hartcher)
Australia – keeping abreast of
international poultry welfare
Kate Hartcher is a PhD student working at the
Poultry Research Foundation, University of Sydney.
Her research focuses on feather-pecking of laying
hens and she is involved in the AECL project, ‘Effects
of rearing on inappropriate conflict behaviours that
predispose cannibalism’.
Feather-pecking, which can result in cannibalism and mortality, has been
widely identified as one of the most significant welfare issues facing the
egg industry.
Kate was recently accepted to present the preliminary results from her
research at the 9th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare. Prior to
attending the symposium, she conducted a study tour of research
organisations working in the field of hen welfare and feather-pecking
within Europe.
Study tour – European experiments in poultry welfare
Kate met with researchers conducting hen welfare related research in
the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden, allowing her
a greater understanding of current and future research in the area.
As well as networking and exchanging ideas Kate was able to put her
own research into a global context and learn validated methods for
on-farm feather-scoring as well as methods for in-person observations
and behavioural testing in a commercial setting.
“The opportunity has further developed my interest in a future in the
field of farm animal welfare, and provided me with valuable skills and
knowledge that I could contribute to the poultry industry in my future
career. Forming relationships with researchers in the field of poultry
welfare allows future collaboration for me as well as the Australian
poultry industry, enhancing the impact factor and scope of the research.’
The 9th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare
The European Symposium on Poultry Welfare is an event held every
four years. It is the largest international scientific meeting in poultry
welfare research, attracting approximately 180 participants, and provides
an opportunity to ‘share and discuss the latest developments, scientific
findings and experiences in order to assist the poultry industry to keep
PhD student Kate Hartcher met with researchers conducting
hen welfare related research in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Germany and Sweden.
bird welfare at high levels and in line with future demands while
maintaining production at acceptable levels’.
A number of themes were presented and discussed including trends
in international poultry welfare policy and current research conducted
in the field. These topics included housing and management, welfare
and behaviour, genetics, light, nutrition, education-information, welfare
assessment and transport and slaughter.
As public interest in farm animal welfare is increasing in Australia,
Kate noted that involvement in such events is imperative to ensure that
Australia stays abreast of international movements that affect domestic
practice. Kate reported a strong focus on farm animal welfare in Europe,
as well as a high level of interaction between industry, research
organisations, policy makers and governments. She noted that researchers
from a range of countries emphasised the importance of education
to enhance poultry health, welfare and productivity – from university
courses to on-farm training.
Researchers from the Netherlands reported a large variation in technical
skills and welfare standards across poultry farms, indicating a need for
improvement in skills and knowledge related to husbandry and management.
They highlighted the need for translation of scientific results to daily
farm practices including the dissemination of methods.
They have developed a Welfare Quality project that includes multimedia
training program including training booklets and on-farm training that is
used to improve health, welfare and production in poultry. The project
targeted human-animal interaction and has improved the attitudes and
handling behaviours by stock people and farmers.
Uppsala – Sweden
17-20 June 2013
www-conference.slu.se/poultrywelfare2013
36
FOR THE DIARY
DECEMBER (2013)
NOVEMBER (2013)
12–15
4–5
• XXIII Latin American Poultry Congress,
San Salvador, El Salvador
• Egg & Poultry Industry Conference 2013,
Birmingham UK. www.epiconference.co.uk
13
6–8
• Carolina Poultry Nutrition Conference,
Durham, North Carolina, USA
• 5th World Waterfowl Conference, Hanoi,
Vietnam, www.wwc2013hanoi.vn
21
• Aviana Ghana 2013, Kumasi, Ghana,
www.avianafrica.com
• Egg Farmers of Australia, Esplanade River
Suites, South Perth Western Australia
(4.30–6.00pm)
•
JANUARY
13
28–30
• AECL Board Meeting
• International Production & Processing
Expo (IPPE), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2014
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
16–17
30–1 April
17
• 4th International Veterinary Poultry
Congress, Tehran, Iran, www.ivpc2014.com
• IEC Conference, Vienna
• AECL Board meeting
• AECL Governance & Risk Committee
meeting
20
• AECL Board meeting
23–25
• AECL Finance & Audit Committee meeting
• VIV/ILDEX India 2014, Bangalore, India
20–22
• IAI Expo, New Delhi, India,
www.iaiexpo.com
MAY
JUNE
20–22
26
• VIV Europe 2014, Utrecht, Netherlands
• AECL Board meeting
25
• Egg Farmers of Australia, Sofitel Gold
Coast, Queensland (PIX 4pm)
29
• AECL Board meeting.
• AECL Finance & Audit Committee meeting
EGGSTRA! EGGSTRA! EGG INDUSTRY MATTERS SPRING 2013
37
AECL Associa
Agricultural Automation
Big Dutchman
Jefo Australia
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Quality Feed Additives
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Lohmann Layers Australia
Zoetis
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Amcor
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A specialised energy consulting firm
www.amcor.com
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Stainless steel fabrication.
[email protected]
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Brodrene Hartmann A/S
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Australian Made Labellers
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Nutritional products for poultry
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www.xmfullstar.com
[email protected]
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Salmet International GmbH
Kuhn Corp Packaging
Egg Grading, Packing & Processing
Hen Housing Manufacturers
Licensee for Ovotherm International Clear Egg Packaging
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Feedworks
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Manufacturer & Distributor of Poultry Vaccines
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Nesting, Packers, Feeding, Watering, Ventilation Equipment
Egg Packaging
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www.imexcoinc.com
www.huhtamaki.com.au
Hy-Line Australia
Ridley AgriProducts
B & M Slots
Breeder & Hatcher of Laying Pullets
High Quality, High Performance Animal Nutrition Solutions
Hen Housing, for all Production Systems
www.hyline.com.au
www.agriproducts.com.au
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Alltech Biotechnology
Biomin
Gow Gates Insurance
Feed Aditives
Insurance & risk advisors specializing in agribusiness
Nutrition & health
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www.gowgates.com.au
www.alltech.com
Tresidder Insurance Group
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Insurance brokers
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www.matthews.com.au
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about our Associate
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