UW-Madison Launches a Cage-Free Egg Policy

WASHINGTON—Today, the nation's largest animal protection organization announced that UW-Madison Housing Food Services, is switching to the near-exclusive use of organic, cage-free eggs. The university will now use these eggs for all of its shell and liquid egg usage in all of its dining halls, a move that The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) praised as an important step for animal welfare.

UW-Madison Housing Food Services is implementing this cage-free egg policy this month. In 2005, the school—one of the largest universities in the nation—used approximately 85,000 shell eggs and more than 65,000 pounds of liquid eggs. Based on the average egg production per laying hen, UW-Madison's switch translates into improving the lives of approximately 3,000 egg-laying hens.

"UW-Madison is glad to respond to our students' requests for organic, cage-free eggs," stated Robert Fessenden, Director of University Housing Food Services.

UW-Madison joins a growing list of schools refusing to use eggs from caged birds. More than 80 schools have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce their use of eggs from caged hens, including University of Iowa, Tufts University, University of Connecticut, American University, University of New Hampshire, Georgetown University, and Dartmouth College.

Several major grocery chains have also implemented similar policies. Companies such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have eliminated their sales of battery cage eggs, and Trader Joe's has converted all of its brand eggs to cage-free. Food service provider Bon Appétit has also begun phasing in exclusively cage-free eggs for all of its 190 cafés.

"By dramatically decreasing its use of eggs from battery-caged birds, UW-Madison is helping improve the lives of thousands of animals," commented Paul Shapiro, Factory Farming Campaign director for The HSUS. "The Humane Society of the United States applauds UW-Madison for its move, and we encourage other schools to follow its example."

In the United States, approximately 95 percent of eggs sold come from hens confined in barren "battery cages," wire enclosures so small the birds can't even spread their wings or engage in many other natural behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching, and dust bathing. The cages are stacked one on top of another inside huge warehouses on factory farms. Each bird is afforded less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.

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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.