The Egg of Discord: Unclear Ethical Concerns Lead to Controversy

by Kim, February 5, 2009 at 3:30pm

If you're among the majority of Americans and don't keep your own egg-laying hens, you may still want the most ethical egg that money can buy.

The New York Times' article, Sorting Through the Claims of the Boastful Egg, can help demystify your egg purchases, distinguishing between the labeling about how birds are raised (cage-free, free-range, pasture-range, humanely raised) and what birds are fed (no antibiotics, no hormones, vegetarian, extra omega-3 fatty acids). Many animal welfare advocates say the "United Egg Producers Certified" standards referring to the birds' care are not high enough. "The standards permit hens to have as little as 67 square inches of space, less than a letter-size sheet of paper, which is 93.5 square inches."

Interestingly, the article doesn't talk about eggs as a great example of the type of trade-off decisions one is often faced with in the grocery store, asking what I have often asked in the dairy aisle: Does a preferably-raised egg from the happiest chickens trump the fact that it comes in a double-layered plastic container?

There was a great "Ask Umbra" piece at Grist on this subject awhile back:

For me personally, I have made the decision to choose the best eggs that come in cardboard boxes, which are more easily recyclable than the ultra-secure plastic containers...and do they even sell styrofoam egg containers anymore? But what do you do when local farming comes up against humanitarian demands...does a small farming enterprise trump a strict animal rights group?

You may think that a small-scale operation delivering eggs to local supermarkets is exactly what the local foods movement is all about. In what struck me as a rather sad case in South Carolina, a monastery was unable to see eye to eye with PETA about its chickens' welfare and the birds and the business were sold off. The monks are determined to find other small-scale sustainable enterprises for their community, which may include mushroom-raising or wine-making. Sympathetic local businesses are already looking forward to carrying their merchandise.

Take the quiz at right to vote for which consideration trumps all others in your food shopping.