WASHINGTON: Despite calls from rights groups and scientist for better egg production worldwide, the vast majority of consumer and commercial egg production remains in traditional cage housing, the International Egg Commission said in a report published on Wednesday. The report has angered animal groups, who have long argued that the horrific conditions chickens are put through should end. “Chickens in the factory farming environment are treated as commodities not sentient beings with rights and this is a horrible fact for our societies,” said an Ohio-based animal rights activist and former industry executive. He told Bikya Masr via telephone that “egg production is one of the most inhumane ways we treat animals and this is why I had to leave. I couldn't take it any longer.” According to the report, released by United Egg Producers, the United States largest supplier, approximately 85 percent of eggs worldwide are produced in “traditional cages.” 30 of the 35 countries the IEC surveyed had “more than half of their eggs produced in modern cages and 15 of the 35 countries produced more than 90 percent of their eggs in cages. Seven countries produce all of their eggs in cages, according to the report, including Mexico, China, Brazil, India, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Iran. These countries would be in an ideal position to profit by increasing their export of eggs to the United States if egg cage housing restrictions are enacted here, as some animal rights activist groups have proposed. The United States produces 95 percent of its eggs in modern cage housing, and only 5 percent in cage-free or other non-cage type systems.” The report, said the executive, “attempts to portray cage egg production as a good thing, but if anyone researching the conditions, they would think otherwise.” Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers, said in a statement that “despite pressure and bullying tactics by some animal rights groups, the overwhelming majority of American consumers continue to prefer regular eggs from modern cage housing systems rather than cage-free. “Americans vote every day with their wallets, and regular eggs from modern cage housing systems win every time by a landslide ratio of 95 percent,” he added. Cage housing systems, in which small groups of about six hens live together in a manner that allows farmers to systematically provide them with fresh food and water and their eggs to be collected quickly for the freshest and most safe eggs, are considered by many animal health experts to be the best production system for hens. But animal groups, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have argued that egg production is another example of the poor treatment animals receive at the hands of their human overlords. They have called on people to refrain from eating eggs, calling to attention the massive health risks of doing so in a number of detailed reports. “Hens in modern cage housing systems tend to have fewer diseases, less mortality, require fewer medications, produce the cleanest and best quality eggs, with the smallest carbon footprint, and at least cost for consumers,” the report claimed. “The advantage of having an egg produced in a cage system is that the egg gets away from the manure, the bedding and the live animal (it rolls out of the cage after being laid) more rapidly,” explained Craig Reed, former deputy administrator of the Food Safety Inspection Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in comments published by United Egg Producers. “The sooner you can isolate that egg so it can be washed, cleaned, sanitized and checked for any deformities, the better that egg is going to be. And the safer that egg is going to be,” he argued. The US is the fifth highest per capita consumer of eggs in the world, at 246 eggs per person each year, according to the IEC. Mexico is the highest per capita consumer of eggs, at 355 eggs per person each year, followed by China, Japan and the Czech Republic. BM
