To have a fulfilling life, cows arguably must be allowed outside. But what constitutes a ‘free-range’ cow is ambiguous. For optimum welfare, farmers must balance time outdoors and time indoors.
Whether it be improving environmental standards for broilers or abandoning cage eggs in favour of free range, major retail players are adopting higher chicken welfare standards.
Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan has ruled out any waiver on the EU’s free range egg policy, which has forced many producers to abandon the status in the wake of the bird flu crisis.
Outbreaks of bird flu throughout Europe could put a stop to free range eggs as safety precautions make meeting the labelling requirements impossible, Dutch members of the EU parliament have warned.
Putting more than one ‘clean’ label on pack treads a fine line between informing and overwhelming consumers, one analyst warns as the Commission issues controversial advice on egg labelling.
Asda is calling on all food retailers to follow its lead after
launching a campaign to back British free range egg producers
against foreign competition.
