The Costco grocery store chain and one of its egg suppliers, Hillandale Farms, have responded to the findings of an undercover investigation recently conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Earlier this week, HSUS posted a video online showing “inhumane treatment of animals and food safety concerns” at a Hillandale egg facility…
Costco Egg Supplier Under Scrutiny for ‘Inhumane Treatment’ of Chickens
An undercover investigation recently conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has discovered “inhumane treatment of animals and food safety concerns” at a Hillandale Farms facility in Gettysburg, PA. The company supplies some Costco stores under the brand name “Nearby Eggs” and was partly responsible for the 2010 outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis…
Animal Cruelty Complaint Filed Against MN Hen Slaughter Plant
Complaints of inhumane slaughter were leveled at a hen slaughter plant in Butterfield, MN, over the weekend. In an investigation into Butterfield Foods Co., a member of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) spent 57 days working undercover at Butterfield’s plant for slaughtering “spent hens,” which are egg-laying chickens deemed no longer commercially…
Caged or Cage-Free? Debate Continues on Safest Method to House Laying Hens
This article was originally published on July 31 by The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting as part of a series titled “Cracks in the System.”
John Miller walks across the lime-covered floor of his chicken barn and steps out a small door into an open field in rural Campbell Hill, IL.
The fenced-in space is …
Egg Standards Bill Introduced in Senate
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and a bipartisan group of seven other senators introduced a bill late last week to set federal housing standards for egg-laying hens, again sparking protest from both pork and beef producers, as well as other animal rights activists who are now calling it the “rotten egg bill.”
The measure, which mirrors …
European Union Bans Battery Cages for Egg-Laying Hens
As of Jan. 1, 2012, egg-laying hens across many European countries will live with fewer discomforts: The European Commission has officially implemented its ban on battery cages, the notoriously cramped cages used by many egg farmers and criticized by animal rights proponents and veterinarians who call them cruel and harmful to the birds’ welfare.
The …
Who Really Benefits from the Egg Industry Deal?
Last week, the Humane Society of the United States held an unusual press conference. The group announced an agreement with its long-time adversary, the United Egg Producers, to jointly seek federal legislation that would improve the housing conditions of egg-laying hens.
As a result, HSUS is calling off its recent efforts to get ballot measures…