New Poll on Canadian Attitudes to Farm Animals

Canadians want more humane eggs and pork in grocery stores and fast-food restaurants

Attention: Agriculture Editor, Assignment Editor, Environment Editor, News Editor, World News Editor

TORONTO, ON--(CCNMatthews - Dec. 2, 2005) - Free-range Egg McMuffins? Certified-organic BLTs? Egg cartons labelled 'cage-free"? According to a new Decima Research poll conducted on behalf of the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals (CCFA) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA):

* 80% of Canadians feel that confining farm animals to small cages that prevent them from turning around is unacceptable
* 75% agree that fast food restaurants should ensure the pork and eggs they buy come from farms that don't keep their animals in small cages
* 76% agree that grocery stores should offer customers more eggs and pork from farms that don't keep animals in small cages
* 94% agree that it is important that farm animals be treated humanely

"This poll sends a clear message to the food industry that Canadians care about farm animals and want to see them humanely treated," says CCFA spokesperson John Youngman. The poll is based on a sample of 1028 Canadians and is considered accurate to within +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

CCFA estimates that about 98% of eggs produced in Canada come from hens kept in wire-floored "battery cages" so small the birds cannot fully open their wings. About 2% come from free-run hens. The vast majority of female pigs used for breeding live their entire adult lives locked down in heavy metal cages known as "sow stalls" so restrictive the animals cannot turn around."

Pamela Anderson recently joined CCFA in asking Loblaw President John Lederer to ensure that all battery eggs sold by Loblaw be clearly identified at point of sale as "Eggs from caged hens." In Europe, as of 2004, all eggs must be labelled as to means of production and stamped with a code clearly identifying them as having come from "free-range, "barn" or "battery" hens.

In addition, the coalition is calling on Loblaw, as Canada's largest grocery chain, to lead the way by setting aside at least half their shelf space for eggs from non-caged hens.

The Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, representing more than 120,000 Canadians, is dedicated to promoting the welfare of animals raised for food in Canada.
/For further information: Editor’s Note: Results of the poll are available at http://www.humanefood.ca/docs/Poll2005.pdf

For information contact:
John Youngman, Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals (204) 294-2940 jcy@mts.net
Patrick Tohill, World Society for the Protection of Animals (416) 898-9448 mobile
(416) 369-0044 office tohill@wspa.ca
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IN: AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT, INTERNATIONAL