Largely as a result of Woolworth's commitment to free-range products, one of its main egg suppliers has invested R20 million in a new facility to produce liquid egg from free-range eggs.
This latest step in the journey to producing and selling all free-range products, began more than five years ago and by March 2012, approximately half of all Woolworth’s products containing egg will be made with, and labelled, ‘made with free-range eggs’.
Food manufacturers use liquid egg because of its consistent quality, convenience and high level of food safety. A healthier hen means better eggs, and the free-range way provides this.
While Woolworths began using liquid free-range in some products some time ago, converting to liquid free-range egg has not been a quick process as the supply is very limited. Zyda Rylands, Woolworths’ managing director of foods continues, ‘We use about 180 tons of liquid egg per month. Not only do we need our suppliers to commit to investing millions of Rands to build more free-range housing and processing facilities, our suppliers also need to expand their flocks – as the hens only start laying at about five months of age. The average free-range hen lays about 20 eggs a month, and it takes 23 eggs to make one kilogram of liquid egg. We need 180 000 kilograms.’
More good news for consumers is that the switch to free-range will not affect the price of these products.
