What are the requirements for advertising eggs as "Free Range" and or 
"Cage Free"?  Are the requirements different for these two phrases? 
Is there a regulatory body that monitors it? 5.00

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Request for Question Clarification by hammer-ga on 31 Oct 2004 08:25 PST

In which country?

- Hammer

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Clarification of Question by gomary-ga on 01 Nov 2004 06:47 PST

My question regarded the United States

For the United States, the standards and descriptions are set by the
USDA. The term "cage-free" appears to have no legal definition,
however, the definition for Free Range can be found in the Trade
Descriptions for Poultry.

USDA-AMS-Poultry Programs
http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/TradeDescriptionIndex.htm

The page referenced above includes a link to a downloadable PDF with
the descriptions for various classifications of poultry and eggs.
United States Trade Descriptions for Poultry
http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/pdfs/TradDesc2.pdf

The Free Range section of the above document includes two different
types of Free Range.

"(ii) Free-Range Production with Traditional Diet
[2] - Birds are raised in heated and air-cooled growing
houses with access to the outdoors and fed a traditional
high protein diet. Because birds have access to
the outdoors, diet and bio-security are not precisely controlled.
Specific production requirements may
need to be defined by buyer and seller."

"(v) Free-Range Production with Organic and/or
Antibiotic-Free Systems [5] - Birds are raised in
heated and air-cooled growing houses with access to
the outdoors and fed an organic diet (without hormones
or non-organic additives) and/or raised without
antibiotics (drugs that are intended to prevent or
treat animal illnesses). Purchaser must specify system
requirements under ?Additional product options.?"

If you are interested, you can also read:
The Comments of Food Animal Concerns Trust
on the United States Standards for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claims
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/comments/mc386.htm

- Hammer

Thanks for finding the info that I could not.  Now I just have to
decide what to do about it.  Thanks,  Mary

From the point of view of the Vegetarian Times...
<http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n228/ai_18523873>

"In fact, there is no commercial or legal definition for free-range
eggs in the United States, according to Karen Davis, president of
United Poultry Concerns, a Potomac, Maryland-based animal advocacy
organization. Neither is there an association of free-range egg
producers to set and maintain standards."

looks like we've been duped again . . .

Even if timespace is correct: Someone may win in small claims court if
they can prove blatant distortion of the dictionary definition of free
range and cage free. An out of court settlement is also likely if the
lier can be convinced that they will really have to face a judge.  
Neil

Currently problems in Australia as well, i.e we have Free range,(
wandering the open air and grasslands), Barn -layed, ( not caged but
let loose to wander  under enclosed roof as in large barn, and
Battery( permanently in one of those tiny cages. Recent dispute came
about when eggs claimed to be barn -layed were only so in the broadest
defintion of term as chickens were loose but so tightly packed inside
small area it was obviously not within the spirit of the term and
clearly caused  discomfort to the chickens.

"Cage free. No legal meaning, but some egg farmers think the term is
less misleading than 'free range' (see below), which suggests happy
hens pecking for grubs in the barnyard...

Free range, free roaming. Here's the U.S. Department of Agriculture
definition of these terms in its entirety: 'Producers must demonstrate
to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the
outside.' In other words, there has to be a door, and it has to be
open at least part of the time."

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/031121.html