Egg Producers Group Agrees to Alter Logo, Settling Complaint

A Federal Commission Says the Label Deceived Consumers About Hens’ Living Conditions.

By Philip Brasher

As printed in The Des Moines Register on October 4, 2005

Washington, D.C. - A logo that appears on egg cartons to advertise that the hens laying the eggs were raised humanely is being altered after complaints to the government and the Better Business Bureau.

The logo will no longer say “Animal Care Certified,” but rather “United Egg Producers Certified.”

The United Egg Producers, the industry’s main trade group, agreed to make the change after the Better Business Bureau decided the logo was deceptive last year and referred the case to the Federal Trade Commission.

The Better Business Bureau agreed with animal-welfare activists that the “Animal Care Certified” seal would mislead shoppers into thinking the farming standards were higher than they were. Public concern about the treatment of livestock has been a nagging issue for farmers, especially in Iowa, the nation’s largest producer of pork and eggs.

The changes “directly address the deception identified” by the bureau, the commission said in a letter to the producers group.

The seal also will carry the tagline, “Produced in compliance with United Egg Producers Animal Husbandry Guidelines.”

Gene Gregory, United Egg Producers’ senior vice president, said Monday that the new logo “will help remove any lingering doubts or concerns.”

The National Advertising Division of the business bureau had asked the trade commission to intervene after the egg producers failed to make a “bona fide effort” to address its concerns about the label.

Farms that want to use the United Egg Producers logo must comply with handling standards set by the organization. The guidelines increased the living space for caged hens, but activists say the birds still don’t have enough room to move adequately.

The new logo “will no longer convey a false message of humane animal care,” said Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, an advocacy group that complained to the business bureau and the trade commission.

Ninety percent of the nation’s eggs are produced according to the United Egg Producers’ standards. Farms that use the group’s logo are required to file monthly compliance reports and be checked by independent inspectors.