NestFresh to launch sustainable “Humanely Hatched” packaging for eggs

US-based NestFresh has announced the launch of its “Humanely Hatched” packaging, set to debut this month, to bolster transparency and animal welfare in egg farming. The new packaging targets sustainability by using recyclable materials and communicating the welfare advancements behind their eggs.

The initiative introduces NestFresh’s “industry-first” use of in-ovo sexing technology in the US, which prevents the unnecessary euthanization of male chicks by identifying their sex before hatching.

“NestFresh didn’t just adopt this technology — we spearheaded the effort to bring it to market in the US,” says Jasen Urena, executive VP of NestFresh.

He says the Humanely Hatched program results from years of collaboration, innovation, and commitment toward ensuring sustainable and ethical egg farming. 

The Humanely Hatched program is independently verified by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) under its Certified Humane standards. NestFresh owns and develops it to promote ethical egg production.

Paradigm shift in ethical egg production

Mimi Stein, executive director of HFAC, sees the initiative as part of a “major paradigm shift to correct a longstanding industry challenge in egg production.”

She appreciated NestFresh’s efforts to ensure “farm animals are treated with compassion throughout their lifetimes.”

NestFresh’s in-ovo sexing technology, “Cheggy,” is developed by Agri Advanced Technologies (AAT), and helps in reducing waste, since male chicks do not lay eggs, and are often culled shortly after hatching, generating significant waste.

The method’s entry into the US puts animal welfare at the “forefront of egg production,” says Jörg Hurlin, managing director at AAT.

“With over 230 million in-ovo sexed eggs and active worldwide, Cheggy is driving a future of humanely hatched chicks — without compromising hatchability or performance.”

Nancy Roulston, senior director of Corporate Policy and Animal Science, ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare, considers the in-ovo sexing technology’s US entry a “true milestone for animal welfare in the egg industry, with the potential to spare hundreds of millions of chicks from unnecessary suffering.”