Egg farmers nationwide have implemented a comprehensive on-farm food safety program called Start Clean-Stay Clean™. The program includes everything from on-farm inspections, to mandated standards for storage, cleanliness, air quality, feed and record keeping.
Canadian egg farmers follow feed regulations set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, part of which states that steroids and hormones are not approved for use in Canada. This means that the eggs you buy at the store do not contain steroids or hormones.
The Start Clean-Stay Clean™ program tracks all regulated egg farms in Canada, to eliminate or mitigate risks caused by both known and unknown pathogens. The Start Clean-Stay Clean™ program ensures that egg farmers monitor critical control points, implement best management practices, and keep extensive records related to factors including barn temperature, air quality, cleanliness, egg collection, egg storage and testing for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). On-farm compliance is monitored via regular inspections by a trained team of both provincial and national field inspectors.