Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (18:34): (2513) My matter is for the Minister for Consumer Affairs, and the action that I seek is for him to work with the Minister for Agriculture and relevant agencies to implement mandatory labelling requirements requiring egg producers to disclose whether the eggs they sell come from supply chains that involve the maceration of male chicks or whether they instead utilise in-ovo sexing technology. The best way to avoid hen and chicken cruelty is of course to leave eggs off the menu altogether, but most consumers who do buy eggs factor welfare standards into their decision-making. They know that labelling systems distinguish between cage, barn-laid and free-range eggs. Despite these labels often being deceiving and in need of improvement, they exist as a decision-making guide because consumers have a right to know how animals are treated in our farming systems.

But what most consumers do not know is that every single year millions of male chicks are killed by the egg industry on their very first day of life because they cannot lay eggs. This is usually done by maceration, meaning they are sent down a conveyor belt and literally minced in an industrial-sized blender. It is a practice that is met with horror and disgust upon consumers learning of it, and it was clearly kept secret by the industry intentionally. In fact every single time I have spoken in this place about maceration and shared what I have said publicly, I have been contacted by Victorians asking how they can avoid purchasing eggs that are linked to this practice. Previously my answer was that it is simply not possible when buying commercial eggs, no matter how ethical their labelling seemed, and that every egg on supermarket shelves has involved the maceration of male chicks – including organic and free range.

That was until now. A few months ago, in a previous adjournment debate, I asked the Minister for Agriculture to support a trial of in-ovo sexing technology here in Victoria, and last week I was thrilled when it was announced to be in place at Australia’s largest hatchery, which is located in my electorate, on 1 June. This technology allows the sex of chicks to be identified early in incubation, with male eggs then prevented from hatching, and it has already been used in other countries for many years with great success. While it is a huge relief that this technology is now available, it will not be mandatory, and still consumers will have no way at all of identifying eggs linked to maceration. I am sure that the minister agrees with the existing legislation requiring transparency around whether hens are confined to cages and that it only makes sense to extend that transparency to cruel chick shredding too.