No Yolk About It

Syracuse New Times

Thanks for your recent coverage of the Wegmans egg controversy in the Sept. 21 What's Shakin' column. It's disappointing to see a respected company like Wegmans hiding animal cruelty behind the facade of "customer choice."

In the article, spokeswoman Jeanne Colleluori cites the "various cage-free egg brands we offer in addition to our traditional eggs," as if this token gesture somehow excuses the widespread animal cruelty documented on Wegmans' egg farm.

According to Colleluori, "Offering choices is the best way we know to allow our customers to exercise their beliefs and convictions." One wonders why Wegmans doesn't apply this policy to other ethically dubious products for which a demand exists. Will there be a sale on kiddie porn in the periodicals section soon? Or how about "smack you feel good about" at the in-store pharmacies?

Colleluori also claims that alternative production methods are too expensive. Yet in 2004, a survey found that cage-free egg production typically incurs a cost increase of only 5 percent to 15 percent, with even the most expensive methods costing only 70 percent more. Given that Wegmans has recently been selling eggs for 39 cents per dozen, that means an increase of less than 3 cents per egg. Is that really so much to pay to spare a sentient creature a lifetime of suffering?

A student group at the University of Rochester has launched an online petition to convince Danny Wegman that his customers care about animal cruelty. Please add your voice at http://urveg.org.

--Hoss Firooznia, Rochester