Complete egg traceback ensures food safety
Increased concern over food safety has dictated positive identification of each carton of eggs as purchased by consumers to the plant of origin.
In the US all cartons bearing the USDA- Agricultural Marketing Services quality seal are imprinted by either rubber stamp or inkjet printer with a unique USDA Plant number. Generally operators of in-line complexes cannot designate the flock of origin since eggs are blended.
For off-line plants OvoTrack of the Netherlands supplies a comprehensive tracing system using barcodes read by hand-held units connecting with a central database to achieve complete traceback from farm to carton and outer transport container. The system which is widely used in the EU is now entering the US market.
Imprinting individual eggs with logos for brand promotion or as identification is gaining popularity. Nuovo supply membrane-type stampers which are used by Eggland’s Best the leading US supplier of branded, nationally distributed specialty eggs. Nuovo unveiled a multicolour jet printer to the US market which can imprint the top of eggs packed on 30-egg flats with a logo or other identification.
