Laying a Model for Sustainable Food Processing: Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station Honored as FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Farms’ (Nasdaq: VITL) egg washing and packing facility, Egg Central Station (ECS), earned another award for sustainable manufacturing design. FOOD ENGINEERING magazine, one of the most trusted authorities in the manufacturing industry, recently honored ECS as 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year at the publication’s 24th annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo (FA&M).

In FOOD ENGINEERING’s cover story, Editor-in-Chief Derrick Teal noted, “it only takes a few seconds after stepping into Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station (ECS) to realize that the company truly loves its egg-related puns. They’re part of an ethos that starts from the top and flows down the company’s ranks to put a smile on someone’s face, even if just for a second. That idea of doing good extends beyond the facility walls to its other locations, the farmers who supply the eggs, the consumers who buy the product and, finally, to the planet itself. That visible commitment to the environment is why the addition at ECS was chosen as FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year.”

Conservation was at the heart of ECS’ original design when it first opened in 2017. When Vital Farms hatched plans to double the facility’s capacity to process up to 6 million eggs a day, elements to support people and the planet were further embedded into the blueprint. Features including LED lighting, solar panels, and a best-in-class stormwater management system have further improved ECS’ energy efficiency and usage of natural resources. ECS is already a zero-food-waste facility, and the company is committed to achieving zero-waste-to-landfill by the end of 2023 through a new impact goal.

According to Carl Kicklighter, Vital Farms’ Director of Plant Operations, “the conservation features at ECS are a tangible way to tell the story of how you can be sustainable, a profitable company, and create a good working environment, all while putting out a quality product.”

Read FOOD ENGINEERING’s cover story featuring ECS: https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101194-laying-a-model-of-sustainability-for-food-processing

ABOUT VITAL FARMS 
Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL), a Certified B Corporation, offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms is now a national consumer brand that works with over 300 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, and crew members and stockholders. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in approximately 24,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs can also be found on menus at hundreds of foodservice operators across the country. For more information, visit https://vitalfarms.com/.

CONTACT:
Media:
Rob Discher
Rob.Discher@vitalfarms.com  

Investors:
Matt Siler
Matt.Siler@vitalfarms.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80b16572-d448-4516-ab53-cd4100bd1852