12 February 2013
Piqua Daily Call • Troy Daily News
Progress 2013
The incredible egg Poultry farmers enrich county BY BETHANY J. ROYER Civitas Media broyer@civitasmedia.com
hether it’s served sunny side up, hard boiled, or scrambled, the egg is far more than a simple debate of which came first, be it or the hen. For both consumer and for producer, eggs are a nutritional, affordable powerhouse and a true heavy weight in the farming industry. Especially, in the state of Ohio, the second largest egg producer in the nation, with Darke and Mercer counties leading the pack.
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PROVIDED BY THE AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION
ty of the egg to ensure it is free of salmonella and other bacteria to keep consumers safe. “That’s something we are very proud of as well.” However, the egg in its entirety is not the only method by which it reaches a consumer’s plate, as some eggs are broken in eggbreaking facilities before being transported, in much the same process as whole eggs in terms of refrigeration and with the same applicable health and safety food standards, but as egg yolks or egg whites. Which is then used in the restaurant industry or for food manufacturing for such products as cake and cookie mixes. The big question for many consumers, of course, is the nutrition factor, as ongoing research has created much debate on whether or not eggs are a healthy lifestyle option, particularly when it comes to cholesterol. “It originally came out that eggs had cholesterol in them and what we have found out, in research since then, is that the cholesterol in the egg is much less than we thought it was,” said Chakeres as eggs went
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In 2011 alone, Ohio chickens, some 28 million hens and nearly 9 million pullets, produced more than 7.6 billion eggs at a value of $490 million a year, according to information provided by Jim Chakeres, Executive Vice President of the American Poultry Association, who had much to share on how the egg is doing these days and how it makes it from hen to the plate. “Some of the numbers and demographics can change at any given time, but it’s pretty dense in terms of egg production,” said Chakeres in regards to the enormous output by area counties from Cooper Farms in St. Henry, to Weaver Brothers in Versailles, Cal-Maine Foods in Rossburg, Ross Medford Farms in New Weston, Hemmelgarn & Sons Inc. in Coldwater, and several independent producers. “Our farmers take
CHAKERES
egg production very seriously, we are producing a safe, wholesome nutritious product.” A product that begins with the welfare of the hen whose care falls under a set of standards, guidelines, and inspections. Whether it is proper nutrition or a safe, clean environment, commercial egg farmers participate in the United Egg Producers Certified Animal Care program that consists of standards from cage space to molting, even trimming of beaks. “The big thing, we go through so many different inspections, and audits, on food safety, the care of the hens, the environmental responsibility of the farmers and taking care of the land and water, there is so much about quality control
that goes on,” said Chakeres of third-party auditing inspections that many consumers may not be aware of, along with the amount of dedication, time, and energy that goes into making sure high standards and thresholds are met. From the inspection process that moves from the hen to the washing, grading and eventually packaging of an egg. In fact, just a few short hours after being laid and processed, an egg can be found in refrigeration. The utmost care and safety of an egg means it is kept refrigerated throughout the transportation process and into your local grocery store before finding its way to your home after purchasing. “That’s an important process, food safety is very important, all my folks have training in terms of food safety and have to go through several different inspections and protocols every day to ensure egg safety is foremost in their mind,” said Chakeres as he explained an Egg Assurance Quality program, one of the first five programs created nationally, that focuses on the safe-
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