Supermarkets across Michigan are gearing up for a significant change as they prepare to stop selling eggs from caged chickens starting this New Year. This decision, while aimed at improving animal welfare, has sparked concerns about the potential rise in egg prices amidst ongoing inflation. With only a few exceptions, grocery stores will no longer stock shell eggs from caged hens for their customers after December 31st, according to a report by MLive.com.
This transition has been in the works for several years. Back in 2019, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist signed a bill amending the Animal Industry Act to ensure that all egg-laying hens in the state are kept out of cages. He was stepping in for Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the time. Now, five years later, industry representatives assert that egg producers have made necessary preparations for these changes.
No eggs from caged chickens in Michigan. Can’t wait to pay more for already overpriced eggs because Gretchen is busy worrying about chicken comfort instead of worrying about her state being the 11th lowest income state in America. pic.twitter.com/ytE1KPPjez
— SULLY (@SULLY10X) December 21, 2024
Nancy Barr, executive director of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, expressed confidence in their readiness: “Our producers are ready. They’ve spent a lot of time and money getting there but they are committed to the cage-free housing for all of their hens and pullets,” she stated to MLive.com. Meanwhile, Tim Boring from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development mentioned that agency employees will work diligently to ensure compliance with these new regulations.
Boring also noted that there have been no major reports of egg supply issues amid these regulatory shifts. Other officials within Michigan have been preparing for these changes over recent months as well. For instance, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel reached out to SpartanNash—a prominent grocer based in Michigan—urging them to implement clear signage indicating whether certain eggs come from caged hens.
https://twitter.com/Jim_JimP1959/status/1870603307754115431
“Every consumer deserves to feel confident about the food they put on their dinner table,” Nessel emphasized in her letter sent last July. Her office supports cage-free systems due to their generally better living conditions for hens compared to traditional battery cages which pose public health, environmental, and animal welfare concerns.
However, as this policy is set to roll out soon, some individuals remain worried about its impact on prices. Egg costs have already surged by 91% in the Midwest as of November compared with last year’s figures during the same period. Cage-free eggs typically cost about 45 cents more than those from chickens raised in cages according to MLive.com.
Nearly all eggs sold in Michigan will need to come from cage-free birds starting in less than 3 months. pic.twitter.com/ltkMHqT2TE
— Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) December 10, 2024
Raising cage-free chickens demands more labor because these systems are inherently more complex; additionally producers face extra expenses when converting old cage-centered setups into compliant ones explained Vincenzina Caputo—a consumer and food economics professor at Michigan State University—to reporters at MLive.com.