I did not realize that Michigan is one of 9 states that have banned the sale of eggs from caged hens. When I grocery shop, I always look for cage-free eggs because — whether it’s true or not — I think cage-free hens are likely happier hens, and I figure happier hens will lay better eggs; there’s data that backs me up on what I call the “whistling while you work” effect for humans. So, while I didn’t realize the state is mandating cage-free eggs, I fully support the move.
Michigan’s ban is the result of 2019’s Senate Bill 174, which has a 5-year phase-in period; all eggs produced and sold in the state must be cage-free by Dec. 31, 2024.
Eggs are a big, big deal in Michigan, and the cage-free-only bill is an important action. Michigan ranks seventh in the nation for egg production, with over 15.4 million laying hens producing nearly 4.6 million eggs a year. Egg production contributes approximately $655 million to Michigan’s economy each year.
Eggs are also a healthy food. You can read all about the benefits of eating eggs regularly here.
Now, Michigan is asking Kroger — arguably the nation’s largest grocer — to do a better job of labeling its eggs so as to not confuse its shoppers.
The request in letter form comes in response to the recent “Cracking Down on Kroger” report from Data for Progress, which says its polling indicates that a majority of Kroger shoppers want clear signage indicating which eggs come from cage-free hens, and they feel the grocery’s marketing of eggs from caged chickens is “both confusing and misleading, at best.”
The report also takes Kroger to task for pledging in 2016 to sell only cage-free eggs by 2025. While Kroger reported in 2021 that it was on track to meet the pledge, it abandoned its goal to do so in 2022; however, starting in 2025, any eggs it sells in Michigan will have to be from cage-free hens.
In a release, the Attorney General’s office says at issue in the Data for Progress report is the the use of product labeling terms such as “Farm Fresh” and “Grade A,” labels the report says don’t “have a relationship with the method by which the chickens that laid them were raised, and whose polling reflects “both uncertainty and misperceptions surrounding label meanings” among Kroger customers.
Food companies pledging to reach 100% cage-free eggs at a future date include McDonald’s, Burger King, IHOP, Denny’s, Cracker Barrel, Kraft Heinz, and Target. Companies that have already achieved that goal include Costco, Nestle, USA, Taco Bell, CVS, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Arby’s and Aramark, among others.
