Group Cracks Down on McDonald's Eggs

McDonald's will soon be faced with an epic decision: Which comes first, the cage-free chicken or the profit margin? The Humane Society plans to press the fast-food behemoth at a shareholder meeting in May to use cage-free eggs, but the fast food giant’s response is anything but certain, Gourmet reports. Caged hens are “arguably the most abused animals in all agribusiness,” the group said.

Not so fast, says the Golden Arches, citing support for “both cage and cage-free laying hen housing. This position is supported by the fact that there remains disagreement among scientists globally about the pros and cons of each laying hen housing system.” Scientists may disagree, but the entire EU is phasing out cages—which typically give each hen an area the size of a piece of paper—in 2012. Burger King has already done so. (More chicken stories.)