Hen Care and Food Safety

Egg Quality Assurance™ Certification Program

Canadian egg farmers have made it easier to identify top-quality eggs. The Egg Quality Assurance™ certification (or EQA® for short) is an industry-wide initiative that certifies Canadian eggs are produced according to strict food safety and animal welfare standards.

Animal Care

The health and welfare of our hens are our top priority and a cornerstone of our industry. Like our customers and the Canadians who enjoy our product, we believe in the highest standards in animal care.

All registered Canadian egg farmers take part in a comprehensive national Animal Care Program. The program is administered by Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) and is based on the National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens, which covers topics such as housing, barn environment, flock care and husbandry practices, handling, euthanasia and depopulation. NFACC independently reviewed and recognized the program using their robust, multi-stakeholder, consensus-based Animal Care Assessment Framework.

The national Animal Care Program includes steps farmers must take on their farms to meet high standards in animal welfare, every day. There are enforcement mechanisms when the program requirements are not met. Basing the program on the most current Code of Practice means it reflects the latest animal science, global welfare knowledge, new technology and production systems and practices, further strengthening already high standards in animal welfare and ensuring customer expectations are met.

Inspections and third-party audits

The national Animal Care Program includes regular farm audits by trained field inspectors and third-party auditors to verify compliance with the program—ensuring the consistent application of welfare standards across the country and that hens receive optimal care. Inspectors perform audits on two thirds of registered egg farms annually, while an independent third-party auditor performs the remaining third of audits across the country. All auditors are PAACO-certified and undergo rigorous training to ensure a fulsome understanding of the program.

Our comprehensive national Animal Care Program includes over 100 requirements. Farmers must meet all program requirements to pass their annual audit and receive their EQA® certification.

Start Clean-Stay Clean® On-Farm Food Safety Program

We are committed to providing safe, high-quality eggs to Canadians. We work to ensure the eggs delivered to our customers meet our world-class standards for food safety through our national Start Clean-Stay Clean® program

This HACCP-based On-Farm Food Safety Program draws on an internationally accepted approach to prevent, reduce or eliminate food safety hazards. The program identifies all biological, chemical and physical hazards at the farm level, including Salmonella Enteritidis and other foodborne pathogens. It provides critical controls and management programs to prevent, reduce or eliminate the hazards and to mitigate the associated risks.

The program was developed with input from leading food safety experts, regulators and farmers. It consists of best management practices and verification procedures in the areas of egg collection and storage, facility hygiene, pest control, biosecurity and record keeping. The program includes regular farm inspections by a team of trained field inspectors and uses enforcement mechanisms when requirements of the program are not met.

The Start Clean-Stay Clean® program is reviewed on a semi-annual basis to ensure alignment with the latest scientific information, technical advancements, government regulations and best practices. This constant development strengthens already high food safety standards. The program is acknowledged by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as being technically sound.

Our national Start Clean-Stay Clean® program includes 15 critical control elements, and over 100 additional elements that are categorized as major, minor or general based on the risk to food safety.

Each element of the program is assigned a score as part of the Start Clean-Stay Clean® inspection. Farmers must meet the requirements of all critical control elements, undertake a records review and receive a minimum score of 90% to receive their EQA® certification.

Inspections and third-party audits

The national Animal Care Program includes regular farm audits by trained field inspectors and third-party auditors to verify compliance with the program—ensuring the consistent application of welfare standards across the country and that hens receive optimal care. Inspectors perform audits on two thirds of registered egg farms annually, while an independent third-party auditor performs the remaining third of audits across the country. All auditors are PAACO-certified and undergo rigorous training to ensure a fulsome understanding of the program.

Our comprehensive national Animal Care Program includes over 100 requirements. Farmers must meet all program requirements to pass their annual audit and receive their EQA® certification.