Dining Services and Aramark work to implement cage-free eggs, prevent increase in meal plans

Boston University Dining Services and Aramark Food Services set plans to rework their budget to accommodate cage-free eggs without increasing Boston University student meal plans, officials said.

Dining Services Sustainability Coordinator Sabrina Pashtan said since Dining Services announced the change, it will work with Aramark to address the potential increase.

Aramak officials decided to wait until the fall for the change to take effect so they can review the budget, said Vegetarian Society Treasurer Rachel Atcheson, a leader in the movement for cage-free eggs.

“I am really excited that as a school we are going be buying eggs from cage-free facilities so there is not a demand for battery-cage eggs, and that is really monumental,” the College of Arts and Sciences junior said.

In a statement released to The Daily Free Press, Dining Services said cage-free eggs are offered as an option in each dining hall where shell eggs are used.

“We will continue to monitor the issues surrounding the production of eggs and will support reasonable efforts to provide greater protection to hens used in egg production,” Dining Services stated.

The change marks a victory for the Vegetarian Society’s year-and-a-half long campaign for cage-free eggs. Aramark rejected the cage-free idea the first time due to high cost and lack of substantial student support, said CAS junior Kelseanna Smith, who also headed the campaign.

Another leader, CAS senior Nathan Shin, approached Union for support three weeks before the official decision was made, Smith said. Union passed the proposal in its last general assembly meeting on Dec. 7. After a meeting with BU’s executive director, cage-free was passed on Dec. 14.

“I think we are one of the biggest universities to make this change, if not the biggest,” Atcheson said. “This shows that we are actually devoted to sustainability, animal rights and animal welfare.”

School of Management senior Jaime Silverstein, Union’s Environmental Affairs director, said Union voted unanimously with no questions or complaints. When Union approved the proposal, administration believed senators’ votes reflected general student support.

The proposal noted an increase of meal plan fees due to the higher cost of cage-free eggs, but the benefits outweighed the costs, Silverstein said.

Atcheson said she felt somewhat disappointed about having to wait until the fall for the change, noting that Harvard University began implementing cage-free eggs within a week after making its decision.

“I still wish we were saving more chickens now than later,” Atcheson said.

Shin said BU is relatively behind in the animal welfare movement. The European Union passed legislation banning battery-cage eggs, as did states such as California and Ohio.

“Going cage-free normalizes the issue of animal welfare because most people are very unaware of how animals are treated for them to consume their food,” Shin said.

While students may not become more environmentally conscious, Atcheson said she hopes to educate students about the benefits of cage-free eggs specifically.

“My hope is that when people think about how Boston University is cage-free, they will start to think about animals,” she said. “From there, hopefully people will learn more about cage-free.”

Smith said cage-free eggs are not only better for the environment and animal welfare, but also healthier for students. Cage-free eggs have less fat and sodium, more protein and more vitamins and minerals.

“The most important part of cage free for me was the health of the students,” she said. “My question to BU all along was how could they knowingly feed students a product they know is less healthy just because it is cheaper. It is this mentality that the U.S. education and government systems need to eliminate if we hope to improve our standard of health nationwide.”

College of Communication junior Taylor Lewallen, a Vegetarian Society member, said the change resolved a number of long-standing complains from students.

“It was good to see that BU is listening to what the students want,” Lewallen said. “I think going cage free shows that BU is becoming more conscious about its impact on animals.”

Shin said students should consider the type of pork served on campus. Mother pigs tend to be immobilized and die of a slow death due to their confinement in crates.

“I hope people become more aware of other animal suffering,” Shin said. “Maybe students will ask questions about how chickens and pigs are raised.”

Shin said the victory showed the power students can have in facilitating change at BU.

“When I think of the community and the power to change the campus that we’re on, I don’t think students realize that their complaining can be heard by the administration,” Shin said. “We realized that we had an effect. If you voice your opinion about something effectively, your voice will be heard.”