Nation's First Enriched Colony Barn Eggs Now Available In California

Eggs from hens enjoying more space, nesting boxes, perches, and other enhancements provide California consumers with humane choice

LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's first enriched colony barn eggs are now available in California, providing another humane choice to consumers when shopping for one of the most common and useful foods in the world.  Eggs produced by JS West and Companies, certified as humane by American Humane Association's American Humane Certified™ farm animal welfare program, and marketed under the label, "Comfort Coop," are now in the aisles of major supermarkets and grocery stores throughout California. Enriched colony housing not only provides room for hens to stand up, turn around, and extend their wings, but it also meets the natural behavior need of hens to nest, perch and scratch. For consumers, enriched colony eggs provide a safe and affordable choice that meets the ethical considerations for good animal welfare.

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Enriched Colony Barns were first endorsed in 2010 as a humane production system (in addition to free-range and cage-free) by American Humane Association, based on existing research and AHA's more than 200 science-based animal welfare standards.  Enriched Colony Housing was proposed to Congress this year, and was sponsored in the Senate by Diane Feinstein of CA, as the mandated minimum standard for egg production in the United States.

The first enriched colony barn was built in California by JS West and Companies in 2010. American Humane Association certified the farm and provided the Seal of Approval for the equipment and installation in the barn. The production of the first enriched colony farm eggs was introduced under the Comfort Coop brand in 2012, is marketed by Nucal Foods in Ripon, CA, and is now available to California retailers, including Safeway, Lucky, Bel Air, Raley's, Nugget Markets, O'Brien's Market, Nob Hill Foods, and Save Mart Supermarkets.  The announcement of the Comfort Coop brand was made at Natural Products Expo West this week.

"The hens come first," said Jill Benson at JS West and Companies. "We are passionate about the quality of the eggs we put on the table, as well as the health and welfare of our hens. The American Humane Certified program provides verifiable assurance that we have met rigorous, science-based animal welfare standards, and that the animals in the program were humanely raised throughout their lives."

"Consumers are increasingly concerned with making food purchases that are in line with their values," said Kathi Brock, National Director of American Humane Association's Humane Heartland™ program, which includes the American Humane Certified farm animal welfare program, the first, largest and fastest-growing humane certification effort in the United States. "Because of enlightened producers like JS West and products like Comfort Coop Eggs, we can all make humane choices every time we shop.  This is a chance for everyone who cares about doing good in the world to be a good egg….just by buying a good egg."

About American Humane Association
American Humane Association is the country's first national humane organization and the only one dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in protecting our most vulnerable from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine and society. American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at www.americanhumane.org today.

About the American Humane Certified™ program
American Humane Association's "American Humane Certified" program is the United States' first third-party animal welfare program dedicated to the humane treatment of farm animals. It is the largest and fastest-growing independent animal welfare program in the U.S. with certified producers raising and handling millions of farm animals under American Humane Association's science-based animal welfare standards. Independent third-party auditors are ISO 9000 credentialed and rigorously trained in the American Humane Certified program's 200-point welfare standards for each species. As consumers and retailers are increasingly concerned about how food is raised, producers are seeking independent verification of humane treatment of their animals. The American Humane Certified™ program and its standards are reviewed regularly by its independent Scientific Advisory Committee, a panel of renowned animal science professionals and veterinarians, to ensure that new technology and research in farm animal welfare is reflected in the animal welfare standards. For more information, please visit www.humaneheartland.org.

SOURCE American Humane Association