Cage-free Eggs Added To Whitney Dining Hall Menu

Continuing a tradition of vegetarian-driven specialty items, Whitney Dining Hall introduced cage-free eggs to its menu this semester.

According to a press release, UConn plans to purchase about 20,000 cage-free eggs this semester to serve at Whitney.

Traditionally, eggs are manufactured at factory farms, where chickens may undergo poor conditions. According to the press release, 95 percent of eggs sold are hatched by chickens in "battery cages." The cages are so small that the birds are prevented from opening their wings.

According to the press release, a student animal protection group at UConn initiated the switchover to cage-free eggs. The students contacted the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for information to present at a meeting with Dining Services.

Zaac Chaves, who graduated from UConn with a degree in computer engineering last spring, was a member of the UConn Animal Rights Collective during the crusade for cage-free eggs.

"I've always been a vegan, animal-rights activist," Chaves said. "I think very few people know about the conditions," Chaves said. "People never see it."

According to Chaves, the public is most familiar with the image of chickens running about on a farm. Unfortunately, the truth presents a much darker picture.

Chickens are "among the most abused animals in factory farming today," said Paul Shapiro, factory farming campaign manager for the HSUS.

According to Shapiro, the cages enclosing each chicken are stacked on top of each other in long rows. Huge numbers of cages can fit into a shed, with each bird allowed only 67 square inches of floor space, or less than the area of a piece of paper. The amount of stress and suffering placed on the birds as a result of these conditions is "just immense," Shapiro said.

Chaves described dining hall personnel as "really, really supportive" about the proposed plan. They were "receptive of our information," Chaves said. When the administration began asking specific questions and pointing out some problems, Chaves knew they were willing to work toward solutions.

The main issue was the higher price for the cage-free eggs, according to Chaves.

"Cage-free eggs are more of a specialty item," he said.

Trying the program at one dining hall for a semester will help "gauge the success" of the program, Chaves said.

Assistant Manager at Whitney dining hall and Coordinator of the Local Routes Program Rebecca Gorin was one of the people who helped make the proposal for cage-free eggs a reality.

"I think a lot of times students feel that the administration doesn't listen," Gorin said.

According to Gorin, communication and patience are key. Huge changes can't be made overnight, she said.

"I'm just really happy, it's the right thing to do," Gorin said.

The cage-free eggs will be purchased from Nellie's Nest Cage-free Eggs, a New England supplier. According to Gorin, the provider was chosen because it is a family farm and it's in the local vicinity. Management also looked at the way the animals were treated.

In this case, chickens live freely in a barn, Shapiro said.

Gorin said the goal was to gradually make UConn a more sustainable community. Sustainability refers to producing food in close proximity to where it is eaten. It "supports the livelihood of local suppliers" and ensures that "the community can meet its own food needs," Gorin said.

According to Gorin, the "ultimate form of sustainability" would be to produce the eggs right on the UConn campus.

UConn's move to cage-free eggs represents a general trend, according to Shapiro. Many other universities and food markets are phasing out factory farmed eggs and shifting to friendlier cage-free alternatives. Several countries have even banned battery cages on factory farms.

When people see the suffering, they will demand cage-free eggs, Shapiro said.

"[Cage-free eggs are] the future of the egg industry," Shapiro said.