One of California’s top egg producers exposed.

In 2005, following a Farm Sanctuary exposé of Gemperle Farms, one of California’s largest egg producers with over 2 millions hens, Trader Joe's agreed to limit its sales of eggs from caged hens. The 2005 footage, revealed horrific conditions in which hens are packed into dilapidated wire cages, suffering and dying amid filth.

In early 2007, Farm Sanctuary received more footage from Gemperle Farms' battery-cage facilities showing identical conditions. Gemperle Farms eggs are still being sold by Trader Joes (under the "Sun Valley" label), as well as major supermarkets all over the West, including Safeway, Albertson’s and others.

Click here to see a copy of the letter from Farm Sanctuary to law enforcement authorities.

Although Farm Sanctuary’s exposés of Gemperle Farms show horrifying conditions, the unfortunate fact is that they are par for the course in egg factory farms all over the U.S. Further, they demonstrate clearly the reasons that millions of Californians support the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, to prohibit the use of battery cages in the state which has qualified for the November 2008 ballot.

Steve Gemperle, president of Gemperle Farms, is on the board of directors of the United Egg Producers and is the Chairman of the Consumer Education and Foodservice Committee for the American Egg Board, an organization that has vowed to fight the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act tooth and nail.