Editing Free-range eggs (section)

===United States===
The [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) requires that egg producers be able to demonstrate that "free range" egg layers have access to the outdoors.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms | title = Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms | publisher = [[United States Department of Agriculture]]: [[Food Safety and Inspection Service]] | website = fsis.usda.gov | access-date = 12 October 2015}}</ref> However, there is no government oversight as to the quality of the external environment, or the amount of time the hen has access to it.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/23/370377902/farm-fresh-natural-eggs-not-always-what-they-re-cracked-up-to-be | first = Anders | last = Kelso | date = 23 December 2013 | website = [[NPR]] | title = Farm Fresh? Natural? Eggs Not Always What They're Cracked Up To Be | publisher = [[National Public Radio]] | access-date = 12 October 2015}}</ref> Many producers label their eggs as ''cage-free'' in addition to, or instead of, ''free-range''.<ref name="Free Range Eggs">{{cite web|title = Why Free Range Eggs|url = https://www.bagofgreens.com/free-range.html|website = Bag of Greens|access-date = 2021-02-15}}</ref> Recently, US egg labels have expanded to include the term "barn-roaming", to more accurately describe the source of those eggs that are laid by hens which can not range freely, but are confined to a barn instead of a more restrictive cage.

====Debate====
[[File:Free Range Hens - geograph.org.uk - 342791.jpg|thumb|Commercial free-range hens outdoors]]
Cage-free eggs have been a major cause of debate in the US. In 2015, there was an initiative proposed in [[Massachusetts]] that would ban the sale of in-state meat or eggs "from caged animals raised anywhere in the nation". This shift from caged to cage-free is concerning for egg industry groups because they believe that this will cause the price of eggs to increase to the point that consumers can not afford to buy them, thereby causing a decline in the egg industry overall. Animal welfare advocates argue that costs will not change as drastically as industry groups are expecting and that the price of eggs will remain almost the same because the housing of the birds does not make a huge difference in cost. Egg industry groups are making an effort to show or "educate lawmakers, voters, and consumers about the merits and cost-effectiveness of cage use". Local farmers and producers say that the shift will occur if that is what consumers want; they will adapt to having birds in or out of cages. Not only are there debates between the egg industry and animal welfare advocates, but people are also debating whether this issue has to be handled by the federal government or the industry.<ref name="POLITICO">{{cite web|title = Egg industry yielding in cage-free fight|url = http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/egg-industry-hands-animal-advocates-big-win-in-cage-free-fight-213905|website = [[Politico]]| date=21 September 2015 |access-date = 2015-10-15}}</ref>

====Growth====
The popularity of cage-free eggs in the United States has significantly increased in recent years. In 2012, approximately 5% of U.S. egg-laying hens were kept in cage-free systems. As of March 2024, this figure had risen to 40%. While cage-free systems are not without their challenges, the industry appears to be transitioning towards this model as the dominant standard. Several U.S. states have enacted or are considering legislation banning the sale of eggs from conventionally caged hens. California, for instance, has already implemented such a ban. Major industry players, such as [[Cal-Maine|Cal-Maine Foods]], the largest egg producer in the U.S., are investing heavily in cage-free production. Cal-Maine has allocated $40 million to expand its cage-free operations and plans to build five new facilities to house 1 million cage-free hens by the summer of 2025.<ref>{{cite web | last=Zimmerman | first=Sarah | title=Cal-Maine plans $40M investment to expand cage-free egg production | website=Food Dive | date=2024-10-15 | url=https://www.fooddive.com/news/cal-maine-cage-free-egg-expansion/729827/ | access-date=2024-10-25}}</ref>