What makes eggs organic? It depends on who you ask

MEGAN THOMPSON:

After ten years of lobbying by Pete & Gerry's and other organic companies, public hearings, and a recommendation from an expert panel, the USDA proposed an update to the organic livestock and poultry practices rule in April 2016. It included a requirement that organic chickens have contact with actual soil, not simply outdoor porches. The USDA said the rules would "better satisfy consumer expectations that organic livestock meet a uniform and verifiable animal welfare standard."

In response to the proposed rule requiring outdoor access, there were nearly 7,000 comments submitted to the USDA, including from three of the largest egg producers in the country: Cal-Maine, Rose Acre Farms, and Herbruck Poultry.

All three declined PBS Newshour Weekend's interview requests. But they wrote in a joint comment to the USDA that the proposed rules "are a thinly veiled attempt to promote small farms and exclude larger farms…" and "… conflict with scientifically proven animal welfare practices."

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