During the Easter week-end there is a high demand for eggs - almost 10 million eggs are sold. SPAR Austria is concerned with the welfare of the hens producing the eggs throughout the year and not only during high off-take periods. Egg producers and customers all benefit from the audits which SPAR Austria’s quality team conduct during the year as top quality eggs are available instore whilst the producers can earn direct bonus payments for meeting the high standards SPAR sets.

This year, SPAR Austria expects to sell about 150 million eggs through its private label brands – SPAR Premium, SPAR Vital and SPAR Natur*pur. This product requires stringent controls both in terms of quality assurance and throughout the supply chain process. In order to offer the best quality to customers, SPAR Austria has for some time been using the 5 point egg programme. The 134 egg producing farms which supply these private label eggs are monitored on more than legal requirements and are rewarded for going the extra mile.

Increase in bonus payments

The central criteria rated during the 190 yearly audits are: the use of high quality Austrian animal foodstuffs; guaranteed freshness of eggs; highest hygiene standards throughout the entire production chain and high animal welfare standards. Every two years, all egg producers with the best quality assurance and the highest standards are rewarded. The results for 2014 and 2015 were extremely positive: compared to the last payout period, the amount of bonus payments for the best egg producing farms increased by 8% to €131,000. The bonus payment can be up to €1,600 per egg producer.