 Original article written by Elizabeth Doughman The brand is the first to fully scale in-ovo sexed eggs in retail in the country. NestFresh’s entire egg portfolio in U.S. is now fully sourced through its Humanely Hatched program, which only uses layers hatched after in-ovo sexing was used to remove the male embryo, the company announced. "This is a defining milestone not only for NestFresh, but for the future of the egg industry," said Jasen Urena, vice president of NestFresh. "We set out to prove that humane innovation could work at scale, and completing this transition ahead of schedule shows what's possible when a passion for animal welfare, technology, and the voice of consumers come together." Why in-ovo sexing? NestFresh initially announced plans to adopt in ovo sexing technology in its layer flocks at the end of 2024. The system uses hyperspectral imaging to determine embryo sex of brown feather layers at 13 days of incubation. Approximately 6-7 billion male layer chicks are culled each year, a major animal welfare and economic concern for the layer industry. Animal welfare organizations have pressured the egg industry to find an alternative approach. Launch of Humanely Hatched The Humanely Hatched brand launched in July 2025. The brand’s eggs are now sold at Whole Foods, HEB, Publix, Food Lion, Albertson's, Acme, Food Land, Harris Teeter, Heinen's and Market Basket. "As consumer expectations around transparency and ethical sourcing continue to evolve, we believe Humanely Hatched™ represents an important step forward for the future of egg farming," added Urena. "This transition reflects our long-term commitment to continuously raising the standard for humane egg production." According to the press release, the transition was completed months ahead of the original projected timeline, making NestFresh the first egg brand in the U.S. to fully scale in ovo sexing technology across its retail lineup. NestFresh is owned by egg producer Hidden Villa Ranch. According to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, Hidden Villa Ranch distributes several brands including California Sunshine, California Ranch Fresh, Horizon Organic and NestFresh. Original article published on WATTPoultry animal welfare newsin-ovo sexinghumane sourcingComments are closed.
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