Vinh Thanh Dat Food JSC: Stronger brand recognition through animal welfare

Vinh Thanh Dat Food Joint Stock Company is recognized as the first livestock enterprise in Viet Nam to establish a layer farm that meets international animal welfare standards.

Mr. Truong Chi Cuong, Deputy General Director of Vinh Thanh Dat Food JSC, shared that the company officially launched its cage-free egg production program in 2021 under the framework of humane livestock farming. At the outset, the initiative posed considerable challenges, since the cage-free model was virtually unknown and rarely practiced in Viet Nam at the time.

Raising layer hens under animal welfare standards introduces a set of fundamental differences compared to conventional poultry farming practices. At the most basic level, hens must be reared in accordance with their natural habits and instincts, which means they cannot be confined in restrictive cages. Instead, they are allowed space to move freely, perch, scratch, and express normal behaviors. Their diet must also adhere to strict requirements: it must not contain antibiotics, bone meal, or any animal-derived ingredients, while their access to clean, fresh drinking water must be continuous and sufficient.

Equally important are the housing facilities, which are designed with detailed technical specifications to safeguard animal welfare. For instance, in a farm of 6,000 laying hens, approximately 1,000 nesting boxes must be provided, ensuring that hens can lay their eggs in a stress-free and comfortable environment. The same farm must also be equipped with around 980 meters of perching bars, giving the birds ample space to roost. Furthermore, the floor must be covered with rice husks or similar bedding material, enabling the hens to scratch, dig, and forage, thereby fulfilling their natural foraging behaviors.

For this reason, when Vinh Thanh Dat decided to adopt animal-welfare-based farming practices, the company had to build an entirely new farm from the ground up. After a careful period of researching available information, analyzing market trends, and considering customers' emerging demand, the company resolved to take the first step by experimenting with humane farming. This effort began with the construction of a new layer farm designed to accommodate 6,000 hens.

Throughout this process, Vinh Thanh Dat received valuable technical guidance and support from Humane World for Animals, particularly in the areas of farm design, housing specifications, and the operational procedures required to meet welfare standards. Remarkably, within just one year of implementation, the company succeeded in becoming the very first livestock enterprise in the country to obtain official certification for humane farming practices, marking a milestone for both the company and the broader livestock industry.

Mr. Cuong explained that when Vinh Thanh Dat first embarked on animal-welfare-based farming, profitability was never the company’s immediate priority. The management fully understood that any new method of production inevitably comes with its own difficulties at the outset and requires time, experimentation, and gradual refinement before it can be perfected. Moreover, the costs of animal-welfare farming are naturally higher compared to conventional practices. This is because the number of hens kept in each facility must be limited in order to guarantee their comfort and well-being, which in turn leads to higher management and operational expenses.

Despite these considerable challenges, Vinh Thanh Dat remained firmly convinced that this approach represents an inevitable trend - one that has already been widely adopted by advanced economies around the world. For that reason, the company believed that whoever takes the lead in Viet Nam will ultimately be the one to reap the benefits.

Since their introduction to the market, Vinh Thanh Dat’s cage-free eggs, produced by hens raised under internationally recognized animal welfare standards, have gradually won the trust of consumers, even though their price is higher than that of conventional eggs. Today, the company’s cage-free eggs are available across a wide range of retail and distribution systems. To keep up with rising demand, Vinh Thanh Dat has been steadily expanding its flock of laying hens raised under animal-welfare conditions, reaching 27,000 birds as of September 2025.

According to Mr. Cuong, adopting animal-welfare farming has significantly enhanced the company’s brand recognition and corporate image. Vinh Thanh Dat has been invited to participate in numerous international conferences on animal welfare, a testament to its pioneering role in Viet Nam. In addition, since 2023, the company has successfully exported pasteurized liquid eggs to the South Korean market, marking an important milestone in its journey toward international integration.