Pace Farms: The Good Egg

Certification: Egg Corp Assured, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Food Safety Standard

Pace Farm started as an egg company in 1978, with one property and 22,000 hens. Now, in 2009, it is one of Australia’s leading providers and marketers of eggs, with over 2 million hens on over 20 farms.

The success of Pace Farm is largely due to a keen focus on producing quality, fresh, great tasting eggs. With recent market concerns about the origin and handling of eggs and egg products, Pace Farm has recognised the importance of being proactive in the management of food safety requirements.

For many years, Pace Farm has been certified to the HACCP Food Safety Standard with NCS International (NCSI). So when the Australian Egg Corporation introduced the new nationwide Egg Corp Assured program in 2004, Pace Farm did not hesitate in implementing it.

Meeting the challenge

Pace Farm was the first company in Australia to achieve the new Egg Corporation Assured certification. The process of receiving certification requires an external assessment by a registered third-party auditor. “We had already been working with NCS International for many years, so it made sense to partner with them in this as well,” says Rogue Isemonger, Pace Farm’s Quality Assurance Manager.

The Egg Corp Assured Quality Assurance program focuses on bio-security (reducing any risk of disease), animal welfare, good farming practices and hygiene.

“NCS International came in and did a gap audit,” explains Rogue. “They gave us advice on what needed to be done to meet the Egg Corp Assured plan. It really reinforced what we were already doing – we’d implemented the HACCP standard previously. But this gave us additional recognition in the marketplace.”

Pace Farm’s major buyers include Woolworths, Coles and McDonald’s. When discussing food safety management with buyers, Rogue has noticed, “they recognise the logo as proving we have a reputable product. Occasionally, when they want to learn more about it, we’ll arrange farm visits so they can see the processes in action.”

A quality focus for the future

NCSI conducts audits every twelve months on over 20 supplier farms around NSW and Victoria. “I would certainly recommend the Egg Corp certification. It seems to be an industry benchmark, a standard that is required in order to do business. It shows our due diligence, that we look after our animals and are conscious of bio-security. We’re doing the best we can, working to the world’s best practice,” says Rogue.

In addition to the Egg Corp Assured program and HACCP certification, Pace Farm also participates in NSW Salmonella Monitoring and has received an A-rating for egg product export by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service. This dedication to food safety management is practiced in all their farms, grading floors and distribution centres, from the careful production and collection of eggs through to the timely delivery, in Pace Farm trucks, to customers.

As a family-owned and operated company, this commitment to food safety management is paramount. And it is certainly paying off for the company and their buyers, producing some of the freshest eggs for consumers around Australia.

For more information on how your business can achieve HACCP certification and other industry-specific accreditations with NCS International, please visit our website www.ncsi.com.au, email us at marketing@ncsi.com.au, or call 1300 856 554.