1 January 2012 marked an important day for egg-laying hens across
Europe. After years of waiting, an EU ban on conventional barren battery
cages came into force.
So does this mean that every egg we will now buy is cage-free?
Absolutely not. While the ban outlaws ‘conventional’ battery cages, it
still allows so-called ‘enriched’ battery cages. These cages give hens a
nesting, scratching and perching area and a little bit more usable
space, but still amounting to no more than an A4 sheet of paper per
bird. This is why it’s important to choose cage-free eggs.
So always check the packaging to be sure what you’re buying contains
cage-free eggs and if you are not sure – ask.
The cost of choosing eggs from higher welfare systems compared to
battery cages can be a matter of a few pennies – a small price to pay
for a major welfare improvement! So please choose eggs labelled Freedom
Food. Freedom Food labelled products are produced by animals on farms
inspected to RSPCA welfare standards. If you can’t find Freedom Food
labelled eggs then look for free-range, barn or organic.
The law in Europe requires all eggs and their boxes to be labelled
either free-range, barn, organic or cage. However, these terms
(particularly ‘eggs from caged hens’) can sometimes be in small print on
the back of the box. So don’t get caught out by eggs boldly labelled
‘Farm Fresh’ or ‘Healthy Living’ – these have probably been laid by
caged hens unless it specifically says otherwise!
Eggs are also used as ingredients in many different types of food,
including ice cream, mayonnaise, cakes, quiches and sandwiches, which
don’t legally have to be labelled with how the hens that laid them were
kept. However, foods made with cage-free eggs will often be clearly
advertised with the information on the packaging or in the ingredients
list. If you are not sure then ask the retailer or manufacturer.
The RSPCA has produced a helpful guide to choosing cage-free eggs
To find out more, go to:
www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/farm/layinghens/
Guest post written by Helen Coen from RSPCA
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