National Poultry Newspaper

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Vol 5. No. 7 July 2022 National Poultry Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
Australian Eggs shores up food security with EggTrace system
With over 45 industry experts, the expo was an ideal opportunity for PHA to network.
New projects and agricultural careers expo
THIS month I have the pleasure of announc- ing funding for two fantastic projects, as a result of our open call for research.
Poultry Hub attended the Tamworth and Dis- trict Careers Advisor’s Network Agricultural Careers Expo.
The first project enti- tled ‘Reducing abnor- mal behaviours through effective enrichment’ will investigate how ef- fective enrichment may be able to reduce abnor- mal behaviour in breed- ing roosters and hens.
The second project is focussed on a novel ap- proach to isolating an- tigen targets and devel- oping an mRNA vac- cine against salmonella enterica, and will be led by a team from Deakin University.
congratulate all of the researchers who sub- mitted projects for our 2022 open call funding round, we truly appre- ciate the time and ef- fort you have made and encourage you to keep engaging with Poultry Hub Australia.
Over 1000 students at- tended from surround- ing Tamworth schools, as well as schools from Coonabarabran, In- verell, Armidale, Glen Innes, Upper Hunter, the coast and as far north as Tenterfield – it was the perfect forum to showcase our indus- try and all the exciting careers the poultry sec- tor has to offer.
by TAMSYN CROWLEY Director
The research team from Melbourne Uni- versity and collabora- tors at South Australian Research and Devel- opment Institute have extensive experience in this area and their pro- ject aims to understand the challenges and limitations to providing specific enrichment for meat chicken breeders in Australian commer- cial conditions.
This project comes off the back of the success- ful delivery of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 but will utilise a novel take on the generation of the vaccine.
I would also like to thank our industry committee, which has again done an outstand- ing job of reviewing the projects and interrogat- ing the science.
More than 45 indus- try experts, educational organisations and uni- versities, it was also an ideal opportunity for PHA to network with other organisations and connect with other members of the poultry industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to
On June 9, 2022,
* continued P2
AUSTRALIAN Eggs recently announced the launch of EggTrace, a new tool designed to help egg farmers trace eggs back from the point of purchase to the date and location that the eggs were laid.
meant that traceability has not extended beyond the mandatory stamping of eggs.
The development of Egg- Trace was part of a Com- monwealth grant project to drive improved food safety and security across the ag- riculture sector.
insights they need to iso- late, neutralise and rectify any issue on-farm before it causes significant food supply issues, and is linked to the production type and best before date.
“Australian Eggs is breaking down the re- maining barriers to broad- er traceability coverage by putting resources in the hands of farmers to help them trace the movements of their eggs,” Mr McMon- nies said.
By creating full visibility on the path an egg takes from lay to despatch, egg farmers now have the abil- ity to more easily and effi- ciently identify any quality or health issues affecting eggs, ensuring a safer and more reliable egg supply chain.
“As the global trend to- wards transparency and traceability in the food chain accelerates, trace- ability has become even more important in ensuring that we have the trust and confidence of Australians.”
Josh’s Rainbow Eggs chief executive officer Dr Tamsyn Murray said traceability is one of the most critical components of the business.
In a recent survey of 5981 Australians, 66.5 percent of respondents indicated that they were concerned about Australia’s food security.
The producer – who sup- plies eggs to Woolworths and Coles supermarkets – said that Josh’s Rainbow Eggs’ traceability system helps them sleep at night.
Australian Eggs manag- ing director Rowan Mc- Monnies said improved traceability coverage will make the egg industry more resilient and improve Australia’s food security.
“Each egg must be the best possible egg – nutri- tious, tasty and safe.
“Australians consume about 17.3 million eggs a day, so if the quality or safety of our eggs is under threat, it would have major implications to our national food supply,” Mr McMon- nies said.
A significant majority – 86.8 percent – agree that traceability is important in ensuring food safety.
“Our traceability system allows us to immediately rectify any issues with egg production and ensures that we are only providing the best eggs to our cus- tomers,” Dr Murray said.
“EggTrace is a browser- based tool that works by providing farmers with the
While most large egg producers have robust traceability systems in place, for some smaller producers previously there have been knowledge, technical or financial bar- riers in place, which has
In addition to the new software tool, Australian Eggs has also developed a suite of resources for egg farmers, including a trace- ability manual, factsheets and more – available at australianeggs.org.au/for- farmers/traceability
Australians care where their eggs come from, a fact reflected in the survey which showed most Aus- tralians – 69.1 percent – prefer to buy eggs from retailers that require eggs to be traceable back to the farm.
“As egg producers, we are responsible for every egg we sell.”
Dr Tamysn Murray and son Josh of Josh’s Rainbow Eggs.
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