The Humane Society of the United States said it had conducted an
undercover investigation that found animal-welfare abuses at an egg
supplier for Costco Wholesale Corp., part of a broader push by the
organization to urge food producers to revamp livestock-production
practices.
Video footage captured by an undercover investigator for the
Humane Society and released Tuesday showed egg-laying hens at
Pennsylvania's Hillandale Farms confined in small cages containing
dead birds. The footage also showed debris from broken eggs
attracting flies on the floor.
Costco had no immediate comment, while Hillandale Farms said the
"practices depicted on the video do not reflect our high
standards."
The investigation comes amid increasing pressure on the food
industry to improve living standards for chickens, pigs and other
animals. Several major food purveyors, including Nestlé SA and
Starbucks Corp., recently have announced plans to phase out the use
of eggs from caged hens.
"The American public wants to see animals raised for food
treated humanely, and intensively confining them so severely in
cages that restrict natural movements and behaviors is out of step
with what people expect," Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the
Washington, D. C-based group said on Tuesday.
The video appeared to show birds in so-called battery cages that
have been used in the industry for decades. Such cages typically
allow about 67 square inches per bird—smaller than a standard sheet
of paper.
Hillandale Farms said in a statement that it was compromised by
an activist who was hired as an employee and disregarded its farm
procedures.
Hillandale said it hired independent experts to review its
operations after receiving the video. The review "confirmed our
belief that the images in the video reflect an isolated incident,"
the firm said. It added that it has "put measures in place to
improve" its processes and expand employee training.
A U.S. egg-industry trade group said it was troubled by the
video. "The video shows operational issues that are not consistent
with the federal Egg Safety Rule or with recognized standards and
expectations for egg safety and hen care," said Chad Gregory,
president of United Egg Producers, which represents companies that
sell the vast majority of the nation's eggs.
The Humane Society said Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco said in
2007 it eventually would buy only eggs from cage-free hens. The
Humane Society on Tuesday criticized Costco for failing to set a
timeline for such plans.
Write to Kelsey Gee at kelsey.gee@wsj.com
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