UMKC Hatches a Cage-Free Egg Policy

University of Missouri-Kansas City has joined a growing movement toward improving the lives of farm animals by enacting a cage-free egg policy for campus dining facilities. All eggs that UMKC serves its students are now cage-free — a new policy that drew applause from The Humane Society of the United States.

Jesse Pisors, general manager of UMKC Dining Services, stated that "UMKC is delighted with our new cage-free egg policy. Just by making a simple purchasing change, we were able to further our commitment to sustainability — and improve the lives of animals." The new policy is a joint effort between UMKC and food service provider Sodexo.

"Cramming hens inside cages so tiny they can't even spread their wings is cruel and inhumane," said Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS's factory farming campaign. "UMKC is right to join the growing number of colleges moving away from using eggs from caged hens."

UMKC joins hundreds of schools—including University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison and St. Cloud State University—in switching to cage-free eggs in their cafeterias.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms confine approximately 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live for more than a year before she's slaughtered.
• While cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage-free hens may not be able to go outside and may have parts of their beaks cut off, but they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests — all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

• February 2008:  Safeway announces a far-reaching animal welfare program, including a purchasing preference for cage-free eggs.
• March 2007: Burger King announces that it has started phasing in cage-free eggs in its North American locations.
• March 2007: Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announces that he will no longer use cage eggs.
• September 2006: Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out cage eggs in its ice creams.
• May 2005: Whole Foods Market announce that it has ended sales of cage eggs.
• November 2003: The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as "Animal Care Certified."

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