Laying hens - how can you help?

The cost of choosing eggs from higher welfare systems compared to battery cages can be a matter of a few pennies – a small price to pay for a major welfare improvement! So please choose eggs labelled Freedom Food. Freedom Food labelled products are produced by animals on farms inspected to RSPCA welfare standards. If you can't find Freedom Food labelled eggs then look for free-range, barn or organic.

The law in Europe requires all eggs and their boxes to be labelled either free-range, barn, organic or cage. However, these terms (particularly 'eggs from caged hens') can sometimes be in small print on the back of the box. So don’t get caught out by eggs boldly labelled 'Farm Fresh' or 'Healthy Living' - these have probably been laid by caged hens unless it specifically says otherwise!

Eggs as ingredients
Eggs are also used as ingredients in many different types of food, including ice cream, mayonnaise, cakes, quiches and sandwiches, which don’t legally have to be labelled with how the hens that laid them were kept. However, foods made with cage-free eggs will often be clearly advertised with the information on the packaging or in the ingredients list. If you are not sure then ask the retailer or manufacturer.

Get involved
Take a look at our campaign to improve the welfare of laying hens.

If you are concerned about farm animal welfare, you might also be interested to learn about some more farm animal welfare issues.