UEP and American Farmers Demonstrate Leadership with New In-Ovo Sexing Certification
The United Egg Producers (UEP) recently launched its in-ovo sexing certification standards, UEP Certified Hatch Check. The Hatch Check program certifies eggs produced by hens from hatcheries that remove male chicks prior to hatch using in-ovo sexing technology.
The UEP–whose farmer-members represent more than 90% of all eggs produced in the US– developed and approved this new initiative in consultation with farmers, hatchery operators, in-ovo sexing technology companies, and veterinarians. The certification sets the industry up for a broad rollout of in-ovo sexing with transparent, rigorous, and verifiable standards.
The new certification requires annual third-party audits to verify compliance at every step of the supply chain. Hatcheries must keep comprehensive records that ensure Hatch Check eggs are kept separated from other eggs and that the in-ovo sexing equipment meets certain accuracy and hatchability standards. But the certification also extends beyond the hatchery level. It ensures supply chain integrity by tracking the hens to their farms and the eggs they lay to the packing facilities.
In 2016, the UEP committed to phasing out male culling when in-ovo sexing technology was commercially and economically feasible. In 2021, they reiterated their continued support for the technology and provided industry expertise to FFAR to advance the Egg-Tech Prize, which provided up to $6 million for research into in-ovo sexing technology. US Poultry also supported the Egg-Tech Prize with a $100,000 grant. Now that in-ovo sexing is viable and available in the US market, American egg farmers are moving towards adopting the technology in the absence of government regulations.
This is American agriculture at its finest: identifying challenges, supporting practical and efficient technologies to address them, and setting up programs that assist implementation at scale. Rather than waiting for regulations or mandates, the UEP and American farmers are investing in this future because of a shared commitment to continually improve the American egg supply chain.
For more detailed information on in-ovo sexing technologies and their impact on the poultry industry, visit our In-Ovo Sexing Overview.
