NYT: "Suddenly, the Hunt Is On for Cage-Free Eggs"

[flvegan]

Or, as HuffPo puts it, "Free At Last! Cage-Free Eggs Are Latest 'It' Food"

The toy industry had its Tickle Me Elmo, the automakers the Prius and technology its iPhone. Now, the food world has its latest have-to-have-it product: the cage-free egg.

The eggs, from chickens raised in large, open barns instead of stacks of small wire cages, have become the latest addition to menus at universities, hotel chains like Omni and cafeterias at companies like Google. The Whole Foods supermarket chain sells nothing else, and even Burger King is getting in on the trend.

All that demand has meant a rush on cage-free eggs and headaches in corporate kitchens as big buyers learn there may not be enough to go around.

The Vermont ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s got plenty of attention last September when it became the first major food manufacturer to announce it would use only cage-free eggs that have been certified humane by an inspecting organization. But the company says it will need four years to complete the switch.

Lots more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/us/12eggs.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=a1a011ca0fc8f6ee&ex=1344571200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
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I know, "cage free" isn't always the utopia that is suggested. "Cage free" can often mean that the hens are kept is tiny spaces, just without a cage. However, people are obviously paying attention to inhumane practices, and wanting to do something about it.

[LeftyMom]

1. My concern is

If certain large, mainstreamish AR groups are promoting cage-free, and people get into that and then find out it's not good enough, are they going to feel like they've had the goal posts moved on them?