Victory for Egg-Laying Hens
"Animal Care Certified"? Better Business Bureau Says "No"
in Landmark Ruling
In the refrigerated section of grocery stores across the country, you may have
noticed a logo now printed on egg cartons that reads: "Animal Care Certified."
What does this mean?
In 2000, the United Egg Producers (UEP), the primary egg industry trade association,
created the "Animal Care Certified" (ACC) voluntary program. Today,
more than 80 percent of U.S. egg producers participate in the ACC program. Despite
the lofty-sounding name, the so-called "Animal Care Certified" guidelines
permit producers to:
- Confine birds in cages so small they can't flap their wings, let
alone engage in other natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, dust bathing,
and foraging.
- Starve birds to the point where they've lost 30 percent of their bodyweight
in order to manipulate the egg-laying cycle.
- Burn off parts of chicks' beaks without painkiller to reduce the
impact of stress-induced aggression and prevent feed spillage, thereby lowering
feed costs.
Alleging consumer fraud, COK brought the case before the Better Business Bureau,
which ruled in COK's favor. Upon appeal, the BBB ruled against the "Animal
Care Certified" logo again.
In its final ruling, in response to the UEP's appeal, the BBB's National
Advertising Review Board wrote: "It is unimaginable that consumers would
consider treatment they find 'unacceptable' to be humane treatment." A
national wire story by the Associated Press on the BBB's ruling reported, "Consumers
who saw the logo might be surprised to learn that the standards behind the Animal
Care Certified tag still allowed confinement of hens in tiny cages, beak-clipping
and forced starvation of the birds, the ruling said." And several news
media stories told shoppers what the "Animal Care Certified" logo
really means.
On August 25, 2004, the Better Business Bureau officially referred the "Animal
Care Certified" egg labeling case to the Federal Trade Commission for possible
law enforcement action against the United Egg Producers. Five days later,
on August 30, 2004, USA Today ran a story entitled, "BBB: 'Animal
Care Certified' Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be."
This major victory is the culmination of more than a year's effort by COK
to prohibit the egg industry from misleading consumers about its routine animal
abuse.
COK's "Animal Care Certified" Campaign: A Timeline
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May 2003
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June 2003
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Nov. 2003
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Nov. 2003
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COK
undercover investigators document disturbing, yet standard, cruelty
at International Standard of Excellence, an "Animal Care Certified"
egg factory farm in Cecilton, Maryland.
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COK files a petition with the Better Business Bureau asserting trade
association United Egg Producers is engaging in false advertising by allowing
member producers to use an "Animal Care Certified" logo on cartons.
COK launches EggScam.com.
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After weeks of filings by the UEP and COK, the BBB's National Advertising
Division rules in COK's favor, stating the "Animal Care Certified"
logo is misleading and should be discontinued. The Associated Press runs
a story on its national wire about the ruling.
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The United Egg Producers appeals the decision to the Better Business
Bureau's National Advertising Review Board.
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Aug. 25 & 30, 2004
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Today
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The BBB finds the UEP is not in compliance with the National Advertising
Review Board's ruling and refers the case to the Federal Trade Commission
for potential law enforcement action. Articles run on the Associated
Press national wire and in the Des
Moines Register and USA
Today.
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As of December 2004, the FTC has not yet ruled on the case.
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Visit EggScam.com for more information
on our campaign and ways you can help egg-laying hens.
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