With the cost of eggs skyrocketing -- a dozen Grade A eggs now costs nearly 79 percent more than it did a year ago -- FACT believes more than ever that consumers should be given accurate information about what they are buying. Currently, inadequate regulation of label claims on egg cartons makes this all but impossible.

Consumer confusion regarding the production claims made on egg cartons has increased, and for good reason. Egg labels that consumers may recognize include Free-Range, Natural, Organic, Cage-Free, Free-Roaming, and Vegetarian Fed. The reality is, however, that not all eggs are created the same, which is why accurate and government monitored labels are so important. The majority of eggs today are produced on factory farms in windowless, confined spaces. Hens are packed up to five-at-a-time into battery cages typically 12 by 18 inches in area, making it impossible for them to stretch their wings. In reaction to this inhumane production system, consumers have started to demand humane alternatives, farming methods which allow hens to move around freely and engage in natural behaviors such as dust bathing, nesting and pecking.

Well-intentioned consumers are falsely reassured by these labels. With the exception of the Certified Organic label and those verified by humane certifying groups such as the American Humane Association, Humane Farm Animal Care, and the Animal Welfare Institute, an unknown number of the additional animal welfare claims found on egg packaging are merely marketing tactics and all go unregulated by the federal government.

There are two government agencies that regulate eggs. The USDA, which enforces labeling on most meat, dairy and poultry products, oddly does not have labeling authority over raw shell eggs, unless the eggs are Certified Organic. Although the FDA is technically responsible for raw shell eggs, the agency's focus is on public safety. They do not allocate resources to verify label claims. The FDA has stated that they will only pursue an investigation into fraudulent claims on shell egg labels if the claim is related to public health and safety.

In light of these disturbing trends -- high egg prices and weak labeling regulations -- there are several steps that concerned and informed consumers can take to ensure that they are getting what they pay for:

1. Do your research. FACT encourages consumers to talk with the farmer whenever possible. Visit the company's website and ask questions about how they raise their animals. FACT can provide assistance and tools to help.

2. Look for eggs certified by one of the humane groups (i.e., the American Humane Association, Humane Farm Animal Care, and the Animal Welfare Institute) or USDA Certified Organic eggs. Organic standards specify that laying hens must be cage-free and have some form of access to the outdoors. Organic hens are also fed an all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides.

3. Visit FACT's website for information on how to make Humane Choices: http://www.foodanimalconcerns.org/humane1.htm

Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Free-range" or "free-roaming" on a label implies that the animal had unrestrained access to the outside world. In reality, the term only guarantees that the animal has had some opportunity to go outdoors each day -- through a door left open at some point, for example -- with no requirement that it actually gets there. Moreover, the use of the term "free-range" is only defined by USDA for chickens that are eaten, not those that lay eggs.

Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but generally do not have access to the outdoors. They have the ability to engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting, and spreading their wings. Beak trimming and forced molting through starvation are permitted.

Vegetarian-Fed: These birds are provided a more natural feed than that received by most laying hens, but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals' living conditions.

Grass-Fed or Pastured: This label indicates that the hens have been raised on pasture. However, because there are no standards defining "grass-fed," as there are for "organic" and "free farmed" (see below), and no third-party verification, this label leaves the consumer in the dark. Practitioners of grass-fed or pastured poultry often use rotational grazing systems with movable cages for at least some portion of the bird's life. This is a desirable option (assuming it can be verified), as birds eat more naturally, consume fewer resources, and live more in tune with their natural behaviors and needs while on pasture. Many suppliers of grass-fed egg-producing hens also report that their eggs are higher in healthy Omega-3 fatty acids than conventional eggs.

Certified Organic: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access (although there have been concerns about lax enforcement, with some large-scale producers not providing birds meaningful access to the outdoors). They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the USDA's National Organic Program. Forced molting through starvation is permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.

Fertile: These eggs were laid by hens that lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.

Omega-3 Enriched: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.

Natural: This label has no relevance to animal welfare. As currently defined by the USDA, "natural" refers to a type of processing.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing crisis in human medicine, and the use of important human drugs in animal agriculture unnecessarily places our health at risk. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently considering an application by drug company Schering-Plough to allow an antibiotic called cefquinome to be used to treat cattle respiratory infections. Cefquinome is from the class of drugs known as "fourth-generation cephalosporins" -- drugs that are highly valued in human medicine to treat life- threatening infections. Widespread use of cefquinome in cattle could drive human bacterial resistance to this critical class of drugs.

Some animal drugs, such as cefquinome, are indiscriminately applied via injection to entire herds or flocks. Bacteria that are constantly exposed to antibiotics develop resistance to these drugs over time. When humans and animals get sick from resistant bacteria, the antibiotics prescribed will no longer work, resulting in life-threatening infections.

We need your help to ensure that the FDA does not approve cefquinome. While FDA is dragging its feet, another way to stop this public health threat is for drug company Schering-Plough to pull its application for the approval of cefquinome. Please sign this petition to Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan urging the company to withdraw its application for use of cefquinome in cattle. For more information visit www.keepantibioticsworking.com.