The hen’s egg: a leader in human nutrition.

Eggs have been known for years for their excellent nutritional qualities. It is a highly nutritious protein of animal origin that contains macro- and microelements of the human diet.

Many of its components are known to contribute to human growth and health. For example, the choline found in chicken eggs improves brain health and cognitive function.

Similarly, chicken eggs contain vitamins and minerals that regulate many metabolic, endocrine, and cellular processes. Among the most important vitamins in chicken eggs are vitamin A, vitamin D, and several B-complex vitamins.

In addition, chicken eggs have been found to contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which improve visual health.

On the other hand, it should be noted that eggs are a staple food in many countries and are very affordable for consumers. This is particularly important in developing countries, where poultry is a major part of the economy.

Finally, the protein and healthy fat contributions of egg consumption are noteworthy. These calories provide satiety and contribute to a nutritious diet at low cost for most people in the world.

For example, one large egg can provide up to 10% of an adult’s daily protein intake. This is even more important for people who want to improve their muscle tissue, grow, or improve their well-being.

Poultry farming: a leading global industry.

The human population has been growing steadily for some time and is expected to continue to do so in the coming decades. It is therefore essential for the food industry to improve its production processes to meet the demand for food and nutrients for human consumption.

For this reason, as eggs are a staple food in many countries around the world, it has been a constant challenge to improve egg production, transportation, and handling methods.

By 2022, global egg production will reach 86 million metric tons. This represented a market value of $160 billion. The world’s leading egg producers remain China, India, the United States, Brazil and Mexico, accounting for more than 50% of total production.

By 2030, poultry farms will need to produce about 100 million metric tons to meet demand. It is estimated that proteins such as beef will decrease in production and consumption, while eggs will increase significantly. Therefore, the poultry industry needs to innovate and implement automation methods in several egg production processes.

Efficient and innovative equipment has been developed for automation and precision egg handling. GI-OVO, a subsidiary of Giordano Poultry Plast, is an international leader in the development and application of these methods, which will contribute to the optimization of poultry farm processes.

Automation in egg handling: What is EggsCargoSystem?

To satisfy the high demand and constant workload of egg production, poultry farms need to implement innovative measures and equipment.

During egg production, there are several phases and factors that need to be carefully monitored: genetics, nutrition, environmental conditions, animal welfare. In addition, once eggs are harvested, new processes begin that require important levels of labor, energy, personnel, and protocols.

Egg handling is a critical process on poultry farms. This stage requires special care to avoid contamination, speed up transport and maintain integrity during storage.

This is why GI-OVO, a subsidiary of Giordano Poultry Plast, developed its innovative EggsCargoSystem (ECS) in 1999. Initially, this equipment revolutionized egg packaging and transport processes, as well as the possibility of robotic assembly and disassembly. In this way, egg handling required less manpower, less time, and more efficiency.

GI-OVO is a young and dynamic company based in the Netherlands. The company designs, develops and produces logistic solutions and packaging for the egg industry. With the support of local partners, they have a global approach. Their customers are egg graders, processors, hatcheries, and retailers.

Today, 25 years after this innovation, GI-OVO’s EggsCargoSystem has been significantly improved and incorporates new technologies. On the one hand, the equipment is now more robust, so that it will work for many years, and on the other hand, the cleaning of its many parts has been made easier.

The current EggsCargoSystem equipment is equipped with high-tech RFID chips that enable tracking and tracing of the equipment. With this, GI-OVO has implemented technologies that make work on poultry farms more efficient. For example, these innovative changes make it possible to avoid the cost of labeling eggs, as the equipment registers them in the middle of its automation.

In addition, GI-OVO’s innovative egg automation and handling equipment works for chicken, duck, and turkey eggs.

What are the benefits of automation in egg handling?

Hen eggs are a fragile and delicate product to handle. Human error can cause damage during egg handling, such as bumping, dropping, crushing, or misbranding.

Manual egg handling is a costly, time-consuming, and resource-intensive process. People on poultry farms can perform other tasks that require their skills and expertise, so equipment like the EggsCargoSystem can manage egg handling.

Poultry farms that implement the EggsCargoSystem for egg handling can realize the following benefits.

• Egg handling automation with the EggsCargoSystem reduces production costs due to its efficiency, speed, and accuracy.
• This innovative GI-OVO equipment reduces egg misclassification by implementing intelligent sensors that manage eggs accurately and correctly.
• ECS reduces the number of eggs damaged by tampering during grading, transport, or storage. The equipment can perform these tasks gently and quickly.
• The improvement in hygiene and good egg handling practices with this automation equipment is remarkable. This ensures the safety of the product all the way to the end user.
• ECS also improves safety during egg transport and storage, critical stages in egg handling. In this way, the integrity of the eggshell and nutrients are preserved.
• Poultry farms that implement GI-OVO’s EggsCargoSystem see an increase in production capacity and end-product flow, while reducing economic, time and energy costs. This gives them an advantage over their competitors in the regional and global marketplace.

GI-OVO celebrates World Egg Day

World Egg Day has been celebrated since 1996, when it was decided in Vienna that the second Friday in October would be the day to highlight the importance of eggs in the world. In this way, different sectors, companies, and leaders in egg production pay tribute to this globally important product.

In 2023, World Egg Day will be celebrated on October 13. GI-OVO, a subsidiary of Giordano Poultry Plast, will take part in this celebration as an international company.

In this way, several activities will be conducted on the day by each organization. Through campaigns, competitions or publications, the companies will try to highlight the importance of the egg for humanity. Some of the most important aspects of eggs include the following:

• Poultry farms that produce eggs create millions of direct and indirect jobs around the world.
• Eggs as a product are an economic engine for developing countries because of the income they generate.
• It is an essential part of the diet for millions of people around the world, providing valuable nutrients.
• It is one of the least polluting animal proteins and has a low carbon footprint.
• The poultry sector is distinguished by its ongoing and rigorous work on disease prevention and animal welfare.
• Laying hens have an excellent conversion rate from feed to final product (eggs).

You can be interested in: Sustainable innovation in poultry farming: Why choose plastic farm equipment?

CONCLUSIONS.

The egg industry is in constant growth and expansion throughout the world. The high demand for food with high nutritional value and low cost helps to position the egg as the right product to meet this demand.

The production of poultry requires several stages and phases, with egg handling being a critical point in the production chain. For this reason, equipment has been developed to improve this process by making it more efficient and safer through automation.

GI-OVO, a subsidiary of the Italian company Giordano Poultry Plast, offers the EggsCargoSystem as an innovative solution for this stage of egg handling. The ECS equipment uses robots and chip technology to manage, sort and transport eggs safely, efficiently, and hygienically.

As a result, poultry farms looking to improve their processes and achieve more efficient egg production are implementing technologies and equipment such as the EggsCargoSystem. These improvements result in lower production costs, higher volumes of marketed eggs and improved egg safety.