Today, The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced in a joint statement that they will work together to urge U.S. lawmakers to craft legislation overseeing the living conditions of the 280 million hens involved in U.S. egg production. This would mark the first federal law regulating the treatment of animals on farms.

Among the proposed standards would be living quarters allowing 124-144 square inches of space (most currently receive 67 square inches, and some 50 million reside in 48 square inches) for each chicken, environments that allow birds to express "natural behaviors" in boxes, scratching areas and perches, and a reduction in excessive ammonia levels in hen houses.

Additionally, the statement called for a cessation of practices that extend the laying cycle by prohibiting food and water levels (a practice frowned upon by most of the industry) as well as an extension of label requirements to inform customers if they are buying “eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from hens in enriched cages,” “eggs from cage-free hens,” or “eggs from free-range hens.”
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Editor’s note: This week, CNN Health's The Chart is taking a closer look at the most important health stories of 2010. Each day, they'll feature buzzwords and topics that came to the forefront over the past year.

According to an old adage, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But for egg eaters across the United States, breakfast briefly became potentially deadly.

In August, an outbreak of salmonella poisoning spurred a recall of more than 500 million eggs from producers across the country, and was eventually traced back to two sources – Wright County Egg Co. of Galt, Iowa, and Hillandale Farms of New Hampton, Iowa. Inspection reports released by the Food and Drug Administration indicated that neither company adhered to its salmonella prevention plans.

Further FDA investigations revealed conditions termed "stomach-churning" by food safety advocates at The Center for Science in the Public Interest. They included chicken manure in piles up to 8 feet high at Wright County and liquid manure leaking into a chicken house at Hillandale.

Read 2010 Year in Review: Food safety at The Chart and see all egg recall information on Eatocracy

The FDA has sent Hillandale Farms of Hampton, Iowa, a releasing letter allowing the company to start shipping its eggs, beginning Monday.

Hillandale Farms was one of two companies that recalled its eggs in August 2010 because of the potential for Salmonella poisoning. According to the FDA, since August, three egg-producing houses owned by Hillandale have been extensively tested and have been found to have no evidence of Salmonella contamination. Four others overseen by the company still are undergoing further testing before they are allowed to ship. Hillandale has also promised to enhance its systems in order to detect Salmonella in the future.

CNN Health has the FULL STORY

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy

Top officers of an egg farm under fire after a widespread salmonella outbreak are apologizing to anyone who may have been sickened by their product and promised to reform their operations.

"We were horrified to learn that our eggs may have made people sick," Austin "Jack" DeCoster, the owner of Wright County Egg, told a congressional subcommittee in prepared remarks released Wednesday afternoon. He said the company's compliance with food safety regulation suffered as it grew, and "I am sorry for those failings."

"I accept responsibility for those mistakes in our operations," DeCoster told the committee.

The CNN Wire Staff has the FULL DETAILS

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy

After the recall of more than 500 million eggs from a salmonella outbreak this summer, food safety advocates and survivors of foodborne illness will call for the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that has been in limbo since last year.

The groups will release a report Wednesday afternoon detailing the food recalls that have occurred since the U.S. House of Representatives passed Food and Drug Administration reform legislation in July 2009.

Since then, the bill has been awaiting action in the Senate.

Advocacy groups and survivors will call on the Senate to pass the bill (S. 510) when the Senate reconvenes.

CNN Wires has the FULL STORY

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy and full coverage on CNN Health

Rodents, piles of manure, uncaged birds and flies too numerous to count were found by investigators at Iowa farms at the heart of the recall of more than half a billion eggs, the Food and Drug Administration reported Monday.

Inspection reports released by the FDA noted numerous violations at six farms operated by Wright County Egg and Quality Egg, which are owned by the same family, and three Hillandale Farms locations.

The inspections - conducted in August, after new egg safety rules went into effect - were launched in response to the nationwide outbreaks of salmonella that have sickened an estimated 1,470 people, according to the FDA.

CNN Health has the FULL STORY

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy and full coverage on CNN Health

[UPDATED]

Federal investigators have found salmonella bacteria in feed and in barn and walkway areas at farms at the center of the nationwide outbreak, officials said.

The feed or feed ingredients could have become contaminated after they went through heat treatment that was sufficient to kill salmonella, officials from the Food and Drug Administration told reporters.

Produced at a mill at a Wright County Egg Co. facility, the feed was given to pullet chickens at both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, which between them recalled more than a half-billion eggs since the salmonella outbreak.

CNN Health has the FULL STORY

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy and full coverage on CNN Health

See all egg recall information on Eatocracy and full coverage on CNN Health