Quality

Caring for our chooks is our #1 job. When we have happy and healthy hens, the quality of each egg that leaves the farm is the best it can be. So, our egg quality reflects the health of our laying flock and the quality of the flock’s feed which we think is pretty important. All the farms in the IEP co-operative have a rigorous quality control process from laying to when the eggs are graded and packed. Where possible we avoid human handling of our chook’s eggs but sometimes we do collect eggs by hand in our free range and barn facilities. From laying, the eggs are sent to the egg packing unit where they are graded by size. Egg grading covers small size 5s and 6s (perfect for poaching), regular size 7 and jumbo size 8s.

Our farms operate and distribute in their local regions and are responsible for all deliveries, which means we can ensure their eggs are as fresh as they can be, and in the best condition when they get to your local stores.

Food Safety

If an egg does not pass our rigorous testing then it does not leave the farm. In short that is our policy to help ensure the highest of food safety standards. All our eggs are tested at the farm before packing with tried-and-tested equipment. The team from NZ Food Safety Authority who are part of MPI come onto our farms to inspect them, check the feed mills, the grading and packing centres.

Animal Welfare

We are committed to providing New Zealanders with a choice of egg whether it’s the size or how it’s farmed. To meet these expectations our co-operative has farms that produce Colony, Barn and Free Range eggs. They are all governed by strict animal welfare and chook husbandry rules that dictate our everyday procedures ensuring every chook is healthy and happy. 

The welfare of layer hens is considered within an internationally recognised framework (The Animal Welfare (Layer Hens) Code of Welfare 2018) known as the ‘Five Freedoms’. These include freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease and freedom to express normal behaviour. IEP is also at the forefront in New Zealand of transitioning from cage to colonies. These larger cages were originally developed in Europe and are the result of years of hen behavioural studies creating the balance between welfare (larger spaces, perches, nesting boxes, scratching areas) and the need to provide our consumers with a continuous supply of affordable eggs.

On our Free Range farms, the chooks are fed on high quality grains and proteins and we let them roam freely in their lush, peaceful and secluded surroundings. They’re free to do what comes naturally to them – forage, explore, scratch, perch – they have 24/7 access to feed and water and we make sure they’re protected from the sun and predators with trees and small shelters. Each farm is audited by a third-party independent auditor to ensure the flock are healthy and all health and safety procedures are adhered to.