Animal rights extremist groups which are opposed to the consumption of all meat, dairy, poultry and fish are now trying to eliminate another nutritious and inexpensive protein and nutrient source from the grocery aisle: eggs.

“What’s wrong with eggs?” you might ask. Well, animal rights activists don’t like the modern egg production housing systems that provide consumers with the freshest, safest, cleanest eggs in the world. And they don’t like the fact that these modern production housing systems provide eggs to consumers at a cost of only about one dollar per dozen at grocery stores… rather than two dollars or three dollars for cage free or free range eggs. Because less expensive prices for eggs probably means that more Americans can afford to buy and eat eggs… which animal activists are opposed to!

These modern egg production housing systems provide egg-laying hens with food, clean water, fresh air and cages that allow hens to stand, turn around, lie down, stretch and preen. Hens protected in these modern housing systems tend to have fewer diseases and better mortality rates.

In an effort to drive up egg prices and reduce or eliminate the consumption of eggs in the United States, several animal rights activist groups are trying to get these modern egg production cage and housing systems outlawed by city councils and state legislatures, portraying these modern marvels as cruel and inhumane “factory farming.” These groups, which include People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), succeeded in getting legislation introduced this year in seven state legislatures. Thankfully, reason prevailed and these initiatives were defeated.

But now, these activists are making an end-run around the legislative process and attempting to get vaguely worded initiatives placed on the ballots next year in California and Colorado that would accomplish the same thing: eliminate modern production cage housing systems. The result would be to triple retail egg prices and deny consumers the right to make their own choice about what type of eggs they can afford: conventional, cage free, organic, etc.

But because these initiatives would ban the modern production methods used in eggs, not the actual sale of these eggs, imports from Mexico, China and other countries likely would replace the local family farm eggs that most grocers and consumers are buying now. The animal welfare and food safety guidelines and track records of other countries have never been a match for the U.S. food production system.

The egg industry has organized a forceful campaign to rebut the animal rights activists under their industry trade organization, United Egg Producers. You can read more about that campaign and the modern egg production methods at www.uepcertified.com.