DANÆG organic free-range eggs from Denmark - 1st Apr 2020
Free-range? Organic? These eggs from DANÆG have them both.
Of Danish origin, these eggs are white in
colour, from the hens’ breed and feed.
Their Danish origins also mean that their
egg-laying hens are tested free from salmonella.
In Danish egg production, they
have zero tolerance for salmonella. All hen flocks in Denmark must be a part of the
official salmonella program and undergo salmonella control throughout the entire
production process, if eggs
are sold from the flock.
The difference from one egg to the other
is determined by the feed and the living conditions of the hens.
These DANÆG organic free-range eggs are
laid by hens with access to an outdoor area all year round. This area must be
covered with grass or similar vegetation and DANAEG sets further requirements
for greenery in the form of trees and bushes in the hen yard.
Like all egg-laying
hens on Danish farms, the DANÆG hens also have access to perches, scratching
areas, nesting space, and natural daylight.
Inside their barn, at least one
third of the area must also be covered with sand, straw, wood shavings or peat
to allow the hens to clean themselves by scratching or dust-bathing.
The feed
given to the organic hens is certified organic and must also be GMO-free. The
hens must also have access to coarse feed every day.
In Denmark, the general rules on protecting farm animals also apply to hens on egg-producing
farms. The rules include inspection, handling and treatment of sick and injured
animals, barn environment, feed, etc. These are minimum requirements which must
always be met – and which may be even stricter in other types of legislation – for
instance, on the keeping of organic animals.
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The Danish Salmonella Control System
The Danish salmonella program is a part of Danish legislation and very strict compared to other countries. The program consists of the following focus areas:
- Monitoring of all flocks every second week
- Heat treatment of feed
- Strict requirements for the animal materials used. Approval of both breeding stock and hatcheries is required
- A strict self-regulation program is demanded. This includes high standards of hygiene and registration of visitors. Staffs have to change their clothes and footwear, and wash their hands before going into the housing to prevent contamination from the outside
- Strict rules apply in the rare case of salmonella-infected flock
- Vaccination against salmonella is not allowed in Denmark
Because of a very effective control system, Danish eggs received special status as “salmonella-free” from 1 July 2012.
This also means that the use of antibiotics in laying hen flocks in Denmark is almost zero.
Feed Supply
Only hens that are fed nutritious and healthy feed can lay first-class eggs. Feed for Danish hens is subject to several requirements, mostly not a requirement in other countries, ensuring a healthy, high-quality product for the consumers.
The requirements governing feed production include:
- High standards of hygiene during manufacturing: e.g., all feed for Danish egg-laying hens must be completely salmonella-free
- Head treatment of feed to a minimum of 8°C.
- No antibiotic growth promoters used since 1998, as well as no meat and bone meal in the feed
- Process control and quality assurance schemes
- External audit of all feed mills once every three months
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About DANÆG
Founded on 25 February 1895, DANÆG is a
cooperative- and farmers-owned company that has delivered eggs since. It is one
of the leading Danish producers of pasteurized egg products with two processing
factories in Denmark and another in Hungary.
It was appointed ”Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court” in 1906 and they are very proud of this title –the royal warrant– which is an important part of the company’s history. As Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court, the company delivers goods or services to the members of the royal family and the royal household.
Animal welfare and food safety are high on
their agenda, with a farm-to-table quality system based on HACCP – an
internationally-recognised method of identification and management of
especially-critical processes in production, which are significant to the
health-related safety of the finished product. The DANÆG laboratory makes extensive
microbiological, chemical, physical and taste tests, to ensure production proceeded
per their HACCP plan and the goods are safe and free from pathogenic bacteria. They
are also FSSC22000- and KAT-certified. Their stringent quality control
requirements and unique salmonella management plan make their eggs among the
safest in the world.
Fully committed to sustainability, their
egg tray is also made from recycled paper.
