Free range Egg Question

"Plug" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is
misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies
"don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much,
which is why free range eggs are more readily available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.
However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this.

A

Quoted message said:

straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off
here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I prefer range-free eggs but I'm not absolutely discriminating. I hardly ever eat eggs anyway.

Technically speaking, eggs are "suitable for vegetarians" whether they are range free or not.
There's nothing deceptive or misleading about advertising that on the carton, though it does seem
unnecessary to do so.

Plug said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for
vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards.
The company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I
disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure. However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little
bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can
ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I think you're confusing two separate issues: vegetarianism and AR. One can be vegetarian without
being pro-animal rights. That would include me, though I don't eat eggs, as well as MANY others who
are vegetarian solely for personal health purposes. Hence, the company is right that there *are*
vegetarians who don't care about specific agricultural practices that keep ARs in knotted knickers.
I further think the company's right since "vegans" comprise a minority of vegetarians and AR is a
*very* marginal pseudo-philosophy in the political spectrum (even in the UK).

"Plug" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is
misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies
"don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much,
which is why free range eggs are more readily available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.
However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this.

A

Quoted message said:

straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off
here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I think you should just buy your eggs from someone else instead of trying to fight the system. I
still don't understand why so-called "non dairy creamers" have milk products in them. That doesn't
mean I can make the companies stop calling their products that.

-Rubystars

Read what Cecil Adams, writer of the Straight Dope
column, has to say about "cage free" and "free range"
eggs and chickens:
straightdope.com031121.htmlOpen ↗

Plug said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for
vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards.
The company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I
disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure. However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little
bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can
ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

Plug <[email hidden]> wrote in message =
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so =

might

Quoted message said:

be able to help me with my query. I am tackling a supplier of =

battery eggs

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. =

I

Quoted message said:

believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. =

The

Quoted message said:

company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or =

free

Quoted message said:

range or not. I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, =

which is

Quoted message said:

why free range eggs are more readily available nowadays - due to =

consumer

Quoted message said:

pressure. However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on =

this. A

Quoted message said:

straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie =

friends I

Quoted message said:

can ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I'm still vegetarian, and buy the odd box of eggs.=20

I usually buy locally produced free range eggs from a farm which feeds = their chickens a vegetarian
GM free diet.

Sarah --=20

Plug said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for
vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The
company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range or not.

People who don't want there to be farm animals are opposed to any type of egg production, even
if it provides decent lives for thousands, millions, billions... of laying hens.

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.

Where are these people who want to promote decent lives for farm animals with their diet? They
sure don't post around here. All we see is opposition to a suggestion like that. Don't ever lose
sight of the fact that veg*nism does *not* promote life of any kind for farm animals, and that's
the whole idea. If you or anyone wants to contribute to decent lives for farm animals with your
diet, keep in mind that you can't do it by being veg*n.

Quoted message said:

However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be useful
- I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

In message <[email hidden]>, Russ Thompson <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Does the same principal apply to milk products because most bull calves end up as veal?

Quoted message said:

-Rubystars

"most" bulls calves do not end up as veal. This was true in the past but has not ben true for some
time now.

Kala Thompson Farmer Richland Center, Wi

Sorry to be ignorant, but where is the 'Richland Center, Wi'? Somewhere in the US?

--
Five Cats Email to: cats_spam at uk2 dot net

In message <[email hidden]>, Mike Marshall <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't ever lose sight of the fact that veg*nism does *not* promote life of any kind for farm
animals, and that's the whole idea.

That's crazy. If everyone was a vegan, there'd still be lots of cows, running around in giant
herds, like buffalos, and wild chickens flapping around everywhere, and pigs too...

Busy eating the crops we are feeding ourselves on? I don't think so.

Quoted message said:

Oh never mind...

-Mike

--
Five Cats Email to: cats_spam at uk2 dot net

C. James Strutz wrote: <snip>

Quoted message said:

Technically speaking, eggs are "suitable for vegetarians" whether they are range free or not.
There's nothing deceptive or misleading about advertising that on the carton, though it does seem
unnecessary to do so.

It may seem unnecessary, but it's a marketing ploy used with great success for a variety of other
claims. For example, just take a look at how many things are now labelled "low-carb."

C. James Strutz said:

"Plug" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is
misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies
"don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much,
which is why free range eggs are more readily available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.
However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this.

A

Quoted message said:

straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off
here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I prefer range-free eggs but I'm not absolutely discriminating. I hardly ever eat eggs anyway.

Technically speaking, eggs are "suitable for vegetarians" whether they are range free or not.

No, that's absolutely false.

1. Eggs are not vegetable matter; they are 100% animal, including a "healthy" (huh) dose of
cholesterol. NO vegetable matter contains cholesterol.

2. If your vegetarianism is politically motivated, i.e. based on notions of "animal rights", then
eggs are ABSOLUTELY forbidden. On that view, they are a product "stolen" from animals that
"aras"/"vegans" believe should not exist in the first place.

Eggs are not vegetarian - full stop.

Sarah Carter said:

Plug <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for
vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards.
The company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range or not. I
disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure. However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little
bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can
ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I'm still vegetarian, and buy the odd box of eggs.

If you eat them, you're not vegetarian. Eggs are 100% animal, and animals are not vegetarian.

There is no such thing as 'ovo-vegetarian'. If you eat eggs, you're not vegetarian: full stop.

Quoted message said:

I usually buy locally produced free range eggs from a farm which feeds their chickens a vegetarian
GM free diet.

Sarah

How about an infinity of hens in a capitalist's henhouse? Now THAT'S compassion! JJ

<[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:23:50 +0000 (UTC), "Plug" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so

might

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be able to help me with my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is
misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies
"don't care" whether eggs or

free

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range or not.

People who don't want there to be farm animals are opposed to any type of egg production, even
if it provides decent lives for thousands,

millions,

Quoted message said:

billions... of laying hens.

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.

Where are these people who want to promote decent lives for farm

animals

Quoted message said:

with their diet? They sure don't post around here. All we see is

opposition to

Quoted message said:

a suggestion like that. Don't ever lose sight of the fact that veg*nism

does

Quoted message said:

*not* promote life of any kind for farm animals, and that's the whole

idea. If you

Quoted message said:

or anyone wants to contribute to decent lives for farm animals with your

diet,

Quoted message said:

keep in mind that you can't do it by being veg*n.

Quoted message said:

However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be
useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off here would be useful.
TIA. Deb

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:23:50 +0000 (UTC), "Plug" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me with
my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for
vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards.
The company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range or not.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.

<snip>

I certainly think any ethical vegetarian would care about the way the hens are treated. I don't see
eggs themselves as sentient, and if they are unfertilized the issue wouldn't even arise, so I don't
see why unfertilized eggs would be an ethical issue in themselves. But certainly, the welfare of the
hens would be.

Rat

Quoted message said:

Don't ever lose sight of the fact that veg*nism does *not* promote life of any kind for farm
animals, and that's the whole idea.

That's crazy. If everyone was a vegan, there'd still be lots of cows, running around in giant herds,
like buffalos, and wild chickens flapping around everywhere, and pigs too...

Oh never mind...

-Mike

"Jonathan Ball" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

C. James Strutz wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Technically speaking, eggs are "suitable for vegetarians" whether they

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range free or not.

No, that's absolutely false.

1. Eggs are not vegetable matter; they are 100% animal, including a "healthy" (huh) dose of
cholesterol. NO vegetable matter contains cholesterol.

2. If your vegetarianism is politically motivated, i.e. based on notions of "animal rights", then
eggs are ABSOLUTELY forbidden. On that view, they are a product "stolen" from animals that
"aras"/"vegans" believe should not exist in the first place.

Eggs are not vegetarian - full stop.

If you're implying that all vegetarians don't consume anything that contains cholesterol then you
are wrong. Vegans, ovo-vegetarians, and lacto-vegetarians are all subsets of 'vegetarians'. Some
vegetarians eat eggs.

Jonathan Ball <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Sarah Carter said:

Plug <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so might be able to help me
with my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery eggs in this country (UK) who puts "suitable
for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading
Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or free range
or not. I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more
readily available nowadays - due to consumer pressure. However, maybe I'm revolving in my own
little bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be useful - I have a handful of veggie friends
I can ask and a few off here would be useful. TIA. Deb

I'm still vegetarian, and buy the odd box of eggs.

If you eat them, you're not vegetarian. Eggs are 100% animal, and animals are not vegetarian.

There is no such thing as 'ovo-vegetarian'. If you eat eggs, you're not vegetarian: full stop.

At last we agree on something.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I usually buy locally produced free range eggs from a farm which feeds their chickens a
vegetarian GM free diet.

Sarah

John Jones said:

How about an infinity of hens in a capitalist's henhouse?

Caged hens, or cage free?

Quoted message said:

Now THAT'S compassion! JJ

<[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:23:50 +0000 (UTC), "Plug" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so

might

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be able to help me with my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes. I believe this is
misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by claiming most veggies
"don't care" whether eggs or

free

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range or not.

People who don't want there to be farm animals are opposed to any type of egg production,
even if it provides decent lives for thousands,

millions,

Quoted message said:

billions... of laying hens.

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to consumer pressure.

Where are these people who want to promote decent lives for farm

animals

Quoted message said:

with their diet? They sure don't post around here. All we see is

opposition to

Quoted message said:

a suggestion like that. Don't ever lose sight of the fact that veg*nism

does

Quoted message said:

*not* promote life of any kind for farm animals, and that's the whole

idea. If you

Quoted message said:

or anyone wants to contribute to decent lives for farm animals with your

diet,

Quoted message said:

keep in mind that you can't do it by being veg*n.

Quoted message said:

However, maybe I'm revolving in my own little bubble on this. A straw poll opinion would be
useful - I have a handful of veggie friends I can ask and a few off here would be useful.
TIA. Deb

"Rat & Swan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:23:50 +0000 (UTC), "Plug"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so

might

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be able to help me with my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by
claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or

free

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range or not.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to

consumer

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pressure.

<snip>

I certainly think any ethical vegetarian would care about the way the hens are treated. I don't
see eggs themselves as sentient, and if they are unfertilized the issue wouldn't even arise, so I
don't see why unfertilized eggs would be an ethical issue in themselves. But certainly, the
welfare of the hens would be.

Rat

There would also be breeding operations going on there if the company expected to continue egg
production into the future. Another concern would be the fate of male chicks.

-Rubystars

"Rat & Swan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:23:50 +0000 (UTC), "Plug"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know this is a vegan site, but some of you have veggie friends, so

might

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be able to help me with my query. I am tackling a supplier of battery

eggs

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in this country (UK) who puts "suitable for vegetarians" on the boxes.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

believe this is misleading and am speaking with Trading Standards. The company respond by
claiming most veggies "don't care" whether eggs or

free

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range or not.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I disagree; in my opinion, veggies care very much, which is why free range eggs are more readily
available nowadays - due to

consumer

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pressure.

<snip>

I certainly think any ethical vegetarian would care about the way the hens are treated. I don't
see eggs themselves as sentient, and if they are unfertilized the issue wouldn't even arise, so I
don't see why unfertilized eggs would be an ethical issue in themselves. But certainly, the
welfare of the hens would be.

Rat

I agree, but so far as UK trading standards are concerned the supplier is not in breach of the law.
They have no guidlines re:- 'vegetarians' and 'ethical vegetarians'. I would not touch battery
produced eggs and am also a little suspect of so called 'barn eggs'.

Ray