Robert De Clercq

About us

In 1960, Robert De Clercq started a small-scale, local sale of eggs. He operated from the warehouse behind his house. Due to the strong growth of the company, a move to a new distribution centre in Beigem was necessary. From then on, the export of eggs to Germany and Luxembourg became the main focus. In 1980, his children continued the company and the main activity shifted to retail, trade and sales to wholesalers and retailers.

Nowadays, Hof ter Lint, under the management of Reinhilde De Clercq, is an ultra-modern packing station that works with the latest sorting techniques, where quality and hygiene are paramount. Now that her children Soetkin and Iwein have joined the company, it is a third-generation family business.

Quality and hygiene

Hof ter Lint is an egg packing station where quality, hygiene and innovation have always come first. This ensures that we can meet the needs of our customers.

We apply the strict European quality and hygiene standards and have our own quality lab. In this lab, the delivered eggs are analysed in detail, taking their weight, the yolk colour and the Haugh unit into account. This way, we guarantee the quality of the eggs.

All our manufacturers have to meet the highest European standards, so that we can always deliver a perfectly finished product. Therefore, Hof ter Lint attaches great importance to a close cooperation with the manufacturers.

Hof ter Lint is IFS, BRC, KAT and ORGANIC certified.

The IFS Food Standard focuses on food safety and hygiene in the food processing sector and is very similar to the BRC Food Standard. IFS-certified companies produce a product compliant with customer specifications and are continuously working on improving their processes. Since 2019 the competent authorities carry out the inspections unannounced. Hof ter Lint has already passed an unannounced audit.

The British Retail Consortium is a leading organisation for brand and consumer protection, used by more than 28.000 certified suppliers in over 130 countries. The BRC standards guarantee the standardisation of quality, safety and operational criteria and ensure that manufacturers meet their legal obligations and offer protection to the end consumer. BRC-certification is now often a fundamental requirement for leading retailers, manufacturers and food service organisations. Since 2019 the competent authorities carry out the inspections unannounced!

The aim of KAT is to ensure the traceability of eggs from various poultry husbandry forms within Germany and the neighboring European countries. The basis for all KAT requirements are the EU directives and regulations and the egg marketing standards. They take into account the stipulations of the German animal welfare directive and aspects of animal welfare. However, the KAT criteria go even further. The goal is to go beyond compliance with the KAT criteria, to control and monitor the eggs from these companies and to consistently record the movement of goods from the egg farm to the consumer.

The European organic logo guarantees that the product complies with the EU standards for organic farming. TÜV NORD INTEGRA checks whether companies that market organic products comply with the European regulations. When a product carries the organic label, the consumer can be sure that the product is truly organic.

Click on the logo to view the certificate.

Products

Barn-roaming eggs

The hens can walk around freely in their indoor ranging area that has sufficient laying nests and perches. The barn has a number of minimum requirements that must be met. A maximum of 9 hens per square metre is allowed and the ranging area must take up at least one third of the total surface of the barn. Hof ter Lint works with manufacturers who have barn-roaming areas with a winter garden. This gives the hens an extra sheltered space where they can enjoy natural daylight and fresh air. The eggs can always be traced via the manufacturer code. Barn-roaming eggs can be recognized by the code “2” on the egg.

Free-range eggs

As with barn-roaming hens, the hens can walk around freely in the barn. Outside of the barn, these hens also have access to a fenced outdoor area. This area amounts to 4 square metres per hen and is partially sheltered. The hens spend most of the day outside where they can enjoy the daylight and a sense of freedom. The outdoor area gives the hens a secure feeling and also the opportunity to express their natural behaviour. The eggs can always be traced via the manufacturer code. Free-range eggs can be recognized by the code “1” on the egg.

Organic eggs

Organic hens are provided with the same surface area as free-range hens. The biggest difference is that these hens are bred organically. This means that their food consists of organically grown raw materials. The eggs can always be traced via the manufacturer code. Organic eggs can be recognized by the code “0” on the egg.

Manufacturing process

The eggs are delivered on a pallet in plastic trays. Each pallet is labelled with the initials of the manufacturer, the laying date and information about the eggs. This data is entered into the computer before the eggs are put in the machine. With the help of a semi-automatic arm, an employee places the eggs on the conveyor belt.

VThe eggs are removed from the trays by pneumatic suction cups and enter the sorting machine. The eggs go through four stages where they are checked for breakage, bloodstains and dirt. The non-compliant eggs are automatically discarded by the machine.

  • Egg Inspector:with special, sensitive cameras, the entire egg surface is checked for leaks and dirt.
  • Crack Detection: each egg is tapped sixteen times with a steel ball to detect possible cracks.
  • UV desinfection: UV light is used to eliminate possible bacteria on the eggs to prevent salmonella infections.
  • Blood Detection: the eggs are checked for blood spots with a xenon (arc) lamp

The eggs are also weighed during their journey through the machine so they can be sorted by weight class and end up in the corresponding packaging. The egg cartons are labelled with a best before date and are then prepared for dispatch.

InfoHof ter Lint bvba
BE 0477.759.939

AddressDaalstraat 121
1852 Beigem

Telephone 02 269 28 80

Email reinhilde@hofterlint.be