Egg Carton Claims - The Only Words We Should Be Looking For.

Eggs today come in a variety of sources, free range, free run, omega 3 etc. However, did you know that most of what is written on the cartons we buy has almost no value to it. The claims made are not verified nor are they backed by anything. There are not regulations or definitions regarding the wording used on the packaging.

In the US, the only labeling required is "certified organic". In order for this claim to appear on your packaging, the hens have to be fed organic, vegetarian feed that is free of pesticides and antibiotics. The level of freedom to graze on the pasture or space afforded to them is left to the discretion of the farmer, which is not always ideal or what we think it may be.

There are many conditions when it comes to egg-laying hens, which range from cages with limited or no space to pasture-raised chickens which are allowed to freely graze the land (typically the best option). However, there are other conditions which dive deeper into the way chickens are treated, which most people don't know about. For example, hens that are crammed and confined to tight living conditions have parts of their beaks removed in order to prevent them from injuring one another due to overcrowding. There are numerous inhumane attempts towards chickens in the name of yielding higher profits, which i will not go into, but the aforementioned is enough to make you sick.

The point of this article is to make you aware of what is going on and what to look for in order to support only humane farming practices and not to support those corporate farms that are enforcing cruelty.

In the US, the "Animal Welfare Approved" label is pretty much the only thing we should be looking for when purchasing our eggs. They are a third-party auditing program called the Animal Welfare Institute, which are responsible for make sure that the highest standards are used. They prohibit all that is inhumane when it comes to the welfare of animals and conventional farming practices. Eggs that are designated as "Animal Welfare Approved" come from hens that have been given adequate space, liberty and allowed to graze in order to live in the healthiest environment possible in order to produce the healthiest eggs.

Another party called the "Humane Farm Animal Care" runs a similar yet less comprehensive program. They run a three level certification program. Eggs certified by this party that meet their guidelines are labelled "Certified Humane."

With time, governments and independent non profit NGOs (non-government organizations) are making an appearance and are being heard. We, as a society, need to take the steps to return to normal and humane farming practices. We cannot continue to torture animals all in the name of higher yields and mass production. Society needs to assume that we have literally taken advantage of the planet and all it has to offer us. We are looking at human extinction, just like the dinosaurs or Atlantis. We need to step up and fix what we have done, if it is still fixable.