News

EU signaling end of the “cage age”

An international food policy expert says it’s becoming the “end of the cage age” in Europe. Dr. David Hughes, professor emeritus of food marketing with Imperial College in London, says the European Union Parliament has given the green light to ban cages for all food animals.

“That’s for chickens for meat, chickens for eggs, pork/hogs, dairy, the works. And that’s going to, you know, that’s going to cause trouble I would suggest.”

He explains why, during a Center for Food Integrity webinar, “Because they’re also calling for all imports into the E.U., or those products, to meet the same standards and that will ruffle feathers, I would imagine.”

Hughes says that could cause a lot of problems in trade negotiations with the U.S. and other countries. The cage ban is close to full approval by the EU parliament and when it goes into effect, he says, European taxpayers will foot the bill.

Hughes, who is referred to as “Dr. Food”, is a member of the Center for Food Integrity’s Consumer Trust Insights Council.