Making animal welfare more mainstream

Sainsbury's, the third-largest supermarket chain in England, says it will stop selling eggs from hens kept in tight quarters called battery cages.

The grocer plans to only sell eggs from uncaged hens in what is considered a major victory for animal rights groups, which oppose cages. Sainsbury's action comes three years before a European Union-wide ban on conventional factory-farm produced eggs comes into force.

Under the coming EU ban on battery cages, poultry farmers will be allowed to build larger cages that give hens more space. But Sainsbury's says it will sell no eggs from caged birds.

"It's fantastic news. When Sainsbury's makes a move like this it has huge impact, making animal welfare more mainstream," said Rowen West-Henzell, food business manager for Compassion in World Farming.

My response? Small cages, big cages, larger cages, the birds are still being caged. Sainsbury grocer is a bunch of hypocrite.

More at UPI.com - British chain bans eggs from caged hens