University of Washington Hatches a Cage-Free Egg Policy

The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, applauds the University of Washington for implementing a policy that will significantly improve the welfare of egg-laying hens.

The University of Washington's Department of Housing and Food Services has implemented an exclusively cage-free egg policy for all foods that are cooked in its dining operations. Housing and Food Services uses approximately 10,896 shell eggs and 5,106 pounds of liquid eggs each year and serves more than 20,000 students a year.

UW Housing and Food Services Executive Chef Gabe Kinney stated, "By ending our use of eggs from caged hens in our dining operations, we are proud to help improve the lives of farm animals and further establish the UW as a socially responsible institution."

"University of Washington's new cage-free egg policy is a positive step that will help reduce the suffering of animals," commented Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS' factory farming campaign. "The Humane Society of the United States applauds its move, and we encourage other schools to follow its example."

Seattle University and Seattle Art Museum have also implemented cage-free egg policies.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms confine nearly 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. The European Union has banned barren battery cages, effective 2012.
• 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. While cage free hens may not be able to go outside, they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.
• There is a snowballing national movement against battery cages. Burger King is beginning to use cage-free eggs. Wolfgang Puck is ending his use of cage eggs. Several grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, have stopped selling cage eggs. Companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias.
• More than 160 schools across the country have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce their use of eggs from caged hens.

Timeline

• August 2007—West Palm Beach, Fla. becomes the seventh city to unanimously pass a bill condemning battery cages and encouraging egg consumers not to purchase cage eggs.
• April 2007—Food service provider Chartwells announces that it is phasing in the exclusive use of cage-free shell eggs for 45 of the schools it serves.
• March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
• March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using battery cage eggs.
• January 2007—Vancouver, Wash.-based Burgerville becomes the nation's first restaurant to implement an exclusively cage-free egg policy.
• September 2006—Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
• May 2006—Google implements an exclusively cage-free egg policy for its employee dining facilities.
• October 2005—Bon Appétit Management Company announces that it is phasing out the use of eggs from caged hens in all of its 400 cafés.
• May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
• 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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