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The Shift to Cage-Free Egg Production in the EU
The European Cage-Free Egg Commitment marks a transformative era in animal welfare and corporate responsibility within the food industry. This movement, fuelled by rising consumer demand for ethical practices and advocacy from animal rights organizations, is redefining egg production across Europe. Leading retailers, producers, and food service providers have pledged to eliminate caged systems, setting a new standard for sustainability and ethical agriculture.
The European Union has achieved substantial milestones in the transition to cage-free egg production, with over 50% of laying hens...
Progress in Poultry Welfare: Examining the European Chicken Commitment
The European Union (EU) has taken significant steps toward improving animal welfare in poultry farming through landmark initiative: the European Chicken Commitment (ECC). The initiative reflects a growing recognition of ethical, environmental, and consumer concerns tied to modern farming practices.
The European Chicken Commitment (ECC) is a comprehensive, science-based welfare policy with six key points aimed at improving the lives of chickens raised for meat. It addresses critical issues, including the consequences of breeding for fast growth and high yield, housing conditions, stocking density, and the process...
USDA Builds on Actions to Protect Livestock and Public Health From H5N1 Avian Influenza
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to enhance national surveillance of H5N1 on dairy farms, building on measures taken by USDA since the beginning of the avian influenza outbreak. In partnership with state veterinarians, USDA will implement a tiered strategy to collect milk samples to better assess where H5N1 is present on U.S. dairy farms, with the goal to better inform biosecurity and containment measures, as well as to inform state-led efforts to reduce...
Nellie’s Free Range Unveils a New Campaign Aimed at Educating Misinformed Consumers
Nellie's Free Range, the #1 free-range brand in the U.S. and part of the Pete & Gerry’s family, today unveiled its new brand campaign, "Life’s Better Out Here," highlighting the company’s commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare, and educating consumers on the critical differences between cage-free and free-range eggs.
The campaign features children, fueled by Nellie’s eggs, who are permitted to let their bodies (and imaginations) run free outdoors, drawing a parallel to how the brand believes hens should live. The spots...
Illinois Senator Proposes Cage-Free Law
Illinois State Senator and Chairperson of the Senate's Agriculture, Commerce and Economic Development Committee, Linda Holmes, proposed a bill that prohibits intense confinement of egg laying hens and the sale of eggs from caged hens.
Senate Bill 3655 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Assignments and would be enforced by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
The bill would require farm owners to offer hens the usable floor space per hen required as outlined in the 2017 edition of the United Egg Producers' Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks...
CDFA Issues New Proposition 12 Guidance Document on Certificates
The California Department of Agriculture's (CDFA) Animal Care Program has issued a new guidance document to aid stakeholders in distinguishing between the various certificates issued for Proposition 12 compliance.
Proposition 12 (2018) went fully into effect on January 1, 2024. The law prohibits the sale of shell eggs, liquid eggs, whole pork meat, or whole veal meat in California from animals that fail to comply with specific standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design, and specified minimum floor space.
The Supreme Court upheld Proposition 12...
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