A new undercover investigation at Kreider Farms – a factory egg farm in Pennsylvania – reveals horrific cruelty to egg-laying hens, including hens crammed inside barren battery cages even smaller than the industry standard, where they can barely move an inch for nearly their entire lives. In a New York Times opinion piece, Nicholas Kristof reports, “Somehow, fried eggs don’t taste so good if you imagine the fetid barn in which they were laid.”
Kristof notes that Kreider Farms is one of the few major egg producers in the United States that actively opposes the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendment of 2012 (H.R. 3798) that would ban barren battery cages nationwide and reduce the suffering of hundreds of millions of animals every year.
This new investigation, conducted by The Humane Society of the United States, illustrates the need to enact the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendment of 2012 (EPIA). If passed, EPIA would:
- Require all egg farms in the country to replace barren battery cages with new, enriched colony housing systems that provide each egg-laying hen nearly double the amount of space, as well as perches, nesting boxes, and scratching areas, that will allow hens to express more natural behaviors;
- Mandate labeling on all egg cartons nationwide to inform consumers of the method used to produce the eggs: “eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from cage-free hens,” and “eggs from free-range hens.” This undoubtedly would reduce the demand for eggs from hens kept in cages and inspire many people to explore vegan options;
- Outlaw the practice of starving hens in order to shock their bodies into another laying cycle (every year, millions of egg-laying hens are denied access to any food for up to two weeks);
- Reduce noxious ammonia levels in henhouses; and
- Prohibit the transport and sale of eggs and egg products nationwide that don’t meet these requirements.
Please help ensure this landmark bill is passed by contacting your representatives in Congress and encouraging them to vote in favor of the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendment of 2012. Click here to take action.
But remember, consumers still hold the greatest power of all to prevent needless animal abuse by simply removing eggs from their diets and replacing them with cruelty-free vegan alternatives. After contacting your representatives in Congress, please visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more about making the switch to a healthy and compassionate vegan lifestyle.
