In Takoma Park, Stance On Eggs Is Over Easy

Hens caged in this way live about 18 months, and then they are slaughtered, Shapiro said. The expected life span of hens free to roam is about 10 years, he said.

"These animals are confined in cages where they can barely move for their entire lives," he said. "The animals have so little space that they can't even spread their wings . . . Birds that are raised in a cage-free environment have a better quality of life."

Since the council's vote, the city's Web site has added educational information to help consumers learn the difference among the array of labels that appears on many cartons in which eggs are packaged. The wording on carton labels includes phrases such as "cage-free," "certified organic," "certified humane" and "free-range," Williams said.

The labels have been under dispute for several years. The Federal Trade Commission recently concluded that the labels used by the United Egg Producers were misleading for consumers because they did not clearly identify the standards used in producing eggs from caged chickens. The industry group recently agreed to change the labels to say "United Egg Producers Certified." But animal-rights groups say that label still is unclear and they will continue fighting for more revisions.

Williams, the sponsor of the Takoma Park resolution, said he had never researched the issue. Whenever he bought eggs, he said, "I mainly thought about price."

"When I became aware of the various egg-carton labels, I was surprised to find that no one label ensures that all of the humane standards are met," he said.

After learning about the conditions that are standard in the industry, Williams said that he began buying the eggs of chickens that had not been confined in cages but had been given access to the outdoors.

"I think it's mainly the humane issue, for me," he said. "But when you start thinking about the ramifications of that, do you really want to eat eggs that came from a chicken that is treated that way? It's like a factory production line, but you're dealing with a live animal here . . . It just kind of leads to all kinds of questions where people start thinking about what they're eating."

More information about the labeling of egg cartons is available at http://www.takomaparkmd.gov and on the Humane Society's Web site at http://www.egglabels.com .