Animal Welfare

United Egg Producers Certified
www.uepcertified.com

Latest News of UEP Certified - The egg industry has unveiled a new animal care certification logo to appear on egg cartons nationwide. Look and ask for it in your nearest supermarket.

Certification Program Reaches 80 Percent Participation

Consumers and retailers concerned about animal welfare can now easily spot eggs produced using the United Egg Producers (UEP) new animal care guidelines. UEP unveiled a new certification logo that will appear on egg cartons from farms that adhere to new animal care guidelines. Egg producers representing more than 200 million layers or 80 percent of the industry have already signed on to participate in the program.

Participating producers are audited yearly through an independent certification program to ensure the new standards are being met.

The Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants have endorsed UEP's Animal Husbandry Guidelines. The UEP guidelines are based on recommendations from an independent scientific advisory committee commissioned in 1999 to review the treatment of egg-producing hens. The committee included representatives from the USDA, scientists and academics.

The guidelines place top priority on the comfort, health and safety of the chickens and include:

- Increased cage space per hen, which is being phased in to avoid market disruptions.

- Standards for non-feed withdrawal molting procedures based on the most current, verified scientific studies.

- Standards for trimming of chicks’ beaks, when necessary, to avoid pecking and cannibalism.

- Maintaining constant supply of fresh feed, water and air ventilation throughout the chicken house and monitoring for ammonia.

- Standards for daily inspection of each bird as well proper handling and transportation.

- Availability of a new training video to instruct producer staffs on the proper handling of chickens to avoid injury to the animals.

For more information on the UEP guidelines, please call (770) 360-9220.

Media: For more information or interviews, please call Golin/Harris at (404) 880-4600.

Contact
Staff Coordinator: Gene Gregory: gene@unitedegg.com