cage-free campus in the capital
Date: September 15th, 2009
University of Victoria's Food Services Department eliminates the use of eggs from battery caged hens in campus food services.
Posters have been erected at the University of Victoria's two main cafeterias informing students that only cage-free eggs will be served at these campus food outlets. The decision to eliminate the use of eggs from caged hens will affect 12 separate businesses run by UVic's Food Services Department, including the University Centre
Cafeteria, residence dining halls and catering service.
UVic joins a growing number of schools across Canada - 14 to date - to adopt a cage-free egg purchasing policy for campus food outlets. Within BC alone, 5 campuses - UBC, SFU, UNBC, BCIT and Langara College - have all made the progressive decision to reduce or eliminate the use of eggs from caged hens.
"We knew there were other schools that had adopted a cage-free policy for the purchase of whole or shell eggs," said Thomas Bain, Director of Food Services for UVic, "but we wanted to be among the first to adopt a 100% cage-free policy for all egg products - whole/shell and liquid." Brock University in St. Catherines, Ontario also chose to commence the school year by serving only 100% cage-free eggs and egg-products in its food facilities.
"We commend UVic for their commitment to more compassionate and sustainable food choices on campus menus," said Leanne McConnachie, Director of the Vancouver Humane Society's Chicken OUT! campaign. Chicken OUT! encourages individuals and organizations to purchase eggs produced in higher-welfare systems, such as certified organic, free-range and free-run environments.
In Canada, over 90% of eggs come from hens confined to small wire battery cages. With an average of 5 hens per cage, the hens are unable to carry out any of their natural behaviours, including flapping their wings, foraging for food, nesting, or dust bathing.
Countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands have all banned the use of barren cages, as will the entire European Union as of 2012, and the State of California in 2015. Last September, the City of Victoria joined 13 other BC municipalities in adopting similar cage-free egg policies for city-run food outlets.
For more on egg-laying hens in Canada, visit www.chickenout.ca.
Media Contacts:
Leanne McConnachie - Director, Vancouver Humane Society: 604-340-3979
Thomas Bain - Manager of Food Services, University of Victoria: 250-472-4112
