No more caged hen eggs for Hounslow Council
Hounslow Council has joined top UK companies including Sainsbury’s in becoming ‘Good Eggs’.
The council’s commitment to only use cage-free (barn, free-range or organic) eggs was recognized at an awards ceremony at the LGA Conference in Bournemouth on 6 July.
“We are committed to sourcing cage-free eggs from barn or free-range systems. Last year our catering service - which supplies school meals and staff catering - used 25,722 eggs. Changing to barn or free-range means almost 100 hens are saved from a caged environment.”
Now in their 4th year, the Good Egg Awards have been developed by Compassion in World Farming to celebrate the commitment of companies and organisations to stop using eggs from battery caged hens. Hounslow’s pioneering move will ensure that hens supplying the council with eggs will be spared a life of misery in a cage. They will be free to carry out many of their natural behaviours, unlike hens kept in barren battery cage systems.
Hounslow is one of a growing number of local authorities in the UK to receive a 2010 Good Egg Award. The recognition comes in the framework of Compassion in World Farming’s ‘Cage-free Councils’ campaign, which is gaining the support of a growing number of concerned citizens across Great Britain.
Compassion in World Farming’s Head of Food Business, Rowen West-Henzell said:
‘We congratulate Hounslow for going cage-free and hope that other councils will follow their example.
“All local authorities have a clear opportunity to lead the way in animal welfare standards, ahead of the 2012 EU ban on barren battery cages.
“Central and local government offices are important users of eggs - they employ over 2.5 million staff with most providing food for employees and to supply local contracts including schools, residential units and social services."
July 19, 2010