How to Prevent Food Waste in Quebec, One Egg at a Time

So that you can eat your eggs with complete confidence, an entire industry works to ensure transportation that minimizes losses, along with carrying out rigorous inspections. Sylvain Lapierre, president of the Fédération des producteurs d’œufs du Québec, explains an egg’s journey from the henhouse to your plate.

The expert

Sylvain Lapierre has been president of the Fédération des producteurs d’œufs du Québec since 2024. He represents 215 egg producers and 109 chicken farmers, spread across farms throughout the province.

What path do eggs take from the farm to grocery stores?

On the day they are laid, eggs are collected and stored in a cold room on the farm. The egg grader (the company responsible for grading eggs) picks them up twice per week and is in charge of washing them, candling them (this involves examining the egg inside and out in front of a light source), weighing them and sorting them into the right category according to their weight. The grader then sends them to grocery stores and restaurants for regular consumption, or to processing plants where they will be turned into food products. It takes about 3 to 7 days between laying and arriving in grocery stores.

Can we find out where the eggs we consume come from?

Yes. Simply visit the oeuf.ca site and enter in the search bar the code found on the egg. It will indicate the province, producer and farm of origin, as well as the “best before” date. You can even get information about the producer.

What actions are in place to reduce egg waste?

At the producer, broken eggs are often mixed with manure to make fertilizer that’s sold in garden centres. Some graders send broken eggs to biomethanization plants where they’re used for animal feed. And at processing facilities, the eggshells that are rich in phosphorus and calcium are also turned into fertilizer.

Do people eat a lot of eggs in Quebec?

It’s estimated that each Quebecer eats, on average, 22 dozen eggs per year. This includes not only eggs in the shell, but also foods like mayonnaise, pastries and pasta, for example. About 2.5 million eggs are produced annually in the province. Because eggs are an affordable and accessible protein, they’ve been growing in popularity over the years.

How can we keep our eggs fresh longer at home?

It’s best to leave them in the carton you bought them in and it’s important to not store them in the refrigerator door. Even though older refrigerator models had a built-in space for them inside the door, that’s not the ideal place to store them, given that they’re constantly exposed to temperature fluctuations. It’s best to store them in the centre shelf of your fridge. Eggs stay fresh for about 50 days after being laid.