Cage-Free Eggs Proposal Would Be First In Nation
WASHINGTON - A DC Council member is proposing that grocery stores be required to post signs to show whether the eggs they sell are produced by hens that were kept in cages.
2 October 2006
2 minute read
Ward One Council Member Jim Graham says the proposal is about animal cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States says standard caged chickens are often more susceptible to infection, injury and loss of feathers due to cramped, dirty conditions.
The Humane Society and egg producers say the law Graham is proposing would be the first of its kind in the nation.
United Egg Producers and the supermarket industry are opposed to the idea, calling Graham's proposal a "government-mandated marketing program." The egg industry says about 95 percent of eggs come from caged hens.
But cage-free eggs are growing in popularity. American, George Washington, Gallaudet and Georgetown universities have banned the use of eggs from caged hens, as well as the corporate cafeterias at AOL.
Source: WUSA 9
The Humane Society and egg producers say the law Graham is proposing would be the first of its kind in the nation.
United Egg Producers and the supermarket industry are opposed to the idea, calling Graham's proposal a "government-mandated marketing program." The egg industry says about 95 percent of eggs come from caged hens.
But cage-free eggs are growing in popularity. American, George Washington, Gallaudet and Georgetown universities have banned the use of eggs from caged hens, as well as the corporate cafeterias at AOL.
Source: WUSA 9
