Cage-free hens have the freedom to defecate wherever they want, and that will lead to more contaminated eggs. Animal welfare advocates espouse the five freedoms, but it is the sixth freedom that cage-free hens exercise that causes food safety concerns. One of the problem behaviors that cage-free hens have the freedom to exhibit is to defecate wherever and whenever they want. This “sixth” freedom can create food safety issues, bird health issues, and increase ammonia emissions from the layer house.
On the subject of cage-free housing and food safety, John Sheehan, director, division of dairy, egg and meat safety, CFSAN, FDA, said that, as the industry increases cage-free production in response to customer purchase pledges, “We (FDA) expect to find more contaminated eggs.” Sheehan said FDA was not consulted on the proposed rule for organic eggs and the requirement that outdoor access for the organic hens be on the dirt without a roof overhead. So the U.S. egg industry appears headed down two paths: more cage-free non-organic hens and organic hens on the dirt outdoors. Both have the potential to jeopardize progress on reducing human illnesses due to egg-borne pathogens.