moving away from eggs from caged hens,
pork from crated pigs, and poultry from
producers that use a particularly cruel but
standard method of slaughter . . .”
For UEP, the issue has grown into a public
relations nightmare. “We are committed to
doing things science tells us, but science
isn’t sexy,” says Gene Gregory, UEP
president. “It’s much easier [for groups
like the HSUS] to convey that all animal
agriculture is bad.”
Simply complex
UEP says changing over the industry
to cage-free production is not
environmentally friendly, will increase
the cost of eggs—an important protein
source for Americans who are at the
poverty level—and could affect food
safety surrounding eggs. Gregory says
his organization uses science-based
These egg-laying hens are confined
inside battery cages, which provide each
bird with less space than a sheet of
letter-sized paper.
United Egg Producers
methodology to study distress, mortality
and the physical well-being of the hens.
Other animal rights groups, such as
the Denver-based American Humane
Association, have tackled the issues
surrounding egg production from a different
angle. It has begun certifying cage-free eggs
under the label “American Humane Certified.”
“The egg itself isn’t complex. It’s a
simple, beautiful form of food” says Kathi
Brock, director of strategic partnerships,
American Humane Certified.
But if the egg isn’t complex, the myriad labels
that adorn egg cartons can be confusing,
from American Humane Certified’s red barn
Eggs from cage-free and free-range
hens make up 5% of table egg
production, and are still considered
specialty items.
and blue sky logo to the simple green and
white Certified Humane box to United Egg
Producers own self-certification logo—each
with different program requirements that
address access to the outdoors, beak
trimming, caged or caged-free housing
and more. Add terms such as “organic,”
“vegetarian,” “conventional,” “free-range” or
“cage-free,” and the simple egg doesn’t seem
quite so simple anymore.
“At one point in history, we didn’t care about
the welfare of people, but we changed our
ways. Now we’re beginning to think about
animals,” says Skewes. “It’s an emotional
issue. Even if the science says the welfare
of the hens is fine, people will still look at
the two and make it an emotional issue and
decide if cages are right or wrong. Science
can take the emotion out of it, but the end
user will likely put the emotion back in.”
Mansfield, Mass.-based freelance writer
Clare Leschin-Hoar’s work has appeared in
The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe
and The Christian Science Monitor, among
other publications.
