Major Ohio Caterer Puts the Chicken Before the Egg

WASHINGTON—Today, the nation's largest animal protection organization announced that catering company MFS Events is hatching a more humane egg policy. Central Ohio's largest caterer is switching to cage-free eggs in its operations, a move that The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) praised as a compassionate decision. Ohio is the second largest egg-producing state in the country.

MFS Events, one of the largest caterers in Ohio, will be eliminating eggs from caged birds in its operations. The award-winning company caters approximately 3,200 events each year, using more than half a million eggs annually. Larry Clark, CEO and president, explained, "Public awareness of the ways in which egg-laying hens are treated have given us a compelling reason to appeal to our clients' animal welfare concerns and gain a competitive advantage."

The company joins a growing national trend away from the use of caged eggs. More than 85 schools have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce their use of eggs from caged hens, including Tufts University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dartmouth College, and University of New Hampshire.

Across the country, businesses are implementing similar policies, with Ohio retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace eliminating their sales of cage eggs. Trader Joe's has converted all of its brand eggs to cage-free. Food service provider Bon Appétit is phasing in exclusively cage-free eggs for all of its 400 cafés. And even companies such as AOL are switching to cage-free eggs in their employee cafeterias.

"MFS Events' cage-free egg policy demonstrates just how quickly battery cage confinement is becoming a thing of the past, and we encourage other companies to follow its positive example," stated Paul Shapiro, Factory Farming Campaign director for The HSUS.

Ohio produces more than 7.3 billion eggs each year and has nearly 28 million laying hens. The vast majority are confined in barren "battery cages" that are so small, the birds can't spread their wings nest, perch, or walk. The wire cages are stacked one on top of another inside huge warehouses on Ohio factory farms.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 9.5 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.