Where would we be without labels on our food to tell us how much salt or fat we're consuming, what to avoid when we have allergies?
A different kind of labeling system, from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can help us identify eggs and meat from animals raised in a humane manner.
Eggs all look pretty much the same, but its what you can't see that makes a difference.
The chickens that lay the eggs carrying a BC SPCA label enjoy a life far different than your average chicken.
"I think you really have to strike a balance," says Steve Easterton who runs a BC SPCA approved egg farm in Richmond.
The balance he's talking about is letting the chickens run free in a more natural environment. Steve's chickens are lucky compared to other industry chickens.
Battery cage farms with birds packed six or more to a cage represents how about ninety-eight percent of chickens live.
"You generally aren't invited into the barn to have a look at how things are run," says Steve.
It's the optimum conversion of feed to eggs -- with the lowest cost and least labour.
"The trade-off there is the animals don't enjoy a humane environment or a natural environment in terms of being able to interact socially and have space and range," says Steve.
Steve chose a different route, which is better for his chickens. He's certified by the BCSPCA. It's on the label of his eggs
"It's about the living conditions its about the housing of the animals its about the methods the employees use in handling those animals," explains Geoff Urton of the BC SPCA.
The SPCA certification label is on other products as well. The SPCA inspects every farm it certifies once a year and conducts random inspections at about 10 percent of it's certified farms.
"So when people are out looking for how to make an impact on those issues to prevent the suffering of those animals the SPCA certified program is a great way for people to shop ethically to find those products that were raised to meet high standards of animal welfare," says Urton.
Some eggs are free run and others are free range. Free run means they get to run around -- but only inside a building. Free range means they are free to go outside -- like these chickens.
"Some people ask me if I think animals have feelings and anytime you open the door to the poultry house in the morning and see them all charge out you know they enjoy life just like you and I do," says Steve.
If you go to the BC SPCA website and scroll down to farms, you can find a list of all the farms in the program, their products, and where you can buy them.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
