The argument of Penn State going cage-free has been going on for more than a year now. With the recent recall of more than half a billion eggs some may think that this might be a good idea. However, I would like to point out that eggs from any kind of operation, whether it be cage, cage-free, natural or organic have the potential to become infected with salmonella.
According to veterinarians, eggs produced in cage systems undergo the highest food safety standards of all operations. Using cages allows producers to keep hens off the ground and out of their own feces. They are better able to control what the birds eat and drink and their air quality. Biosecurity is of utmost importance and allows producers to control who and what goes in and out of hen houses, lowering the risk and spread of disease. Cage-free and free-range systems do not have this level of biosecurity and hens are more likely to eat and lay eggs in their own feces, increasing risk of contamination by harmful bacteria.
