Known more for promoting human rights, the Dalai Lama extended his call for compassion to mistreated fowl in a statement released last week criticizing commercial egg farmers and discouraging the use of battery cages, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate joins animal rights activists in calls for producers to switch to cage-free farming, in which hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses.

"The abuse we inflict on hens has always been particularly disturbing to me and I have always been particularly concerned toward how these animals are treated in industrial food production," he said in the statement. “Turning these defenseless animals into egg-producing machines with no consideration for their welfare whatsoever is a degradation of our own humanity.”...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Grade A” egg stamp may mislead customers into thinking they are buying a graded, inspected product, but in reality an A grade only certifies that the eggs have a pretty face.

The graded mark on egg cartons is actually a superficial marketing symbol, not a reflection of the eggs’ safety. Factories can pay to employ a USDA grader – not inspector – at any egg manufacturing site to verify the consistency of eggs size and color and to make sure the eggs are not cracked, according to The Wall Street Journal. The stamp is also a marketing strategy, designed to promote American eggs at home and abroad.

An A grade stamp does not guarantee eggs are Salmonella-free; a concern among consumers who may be paying special attention to labels during the ongoing egg-related Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 1,500 people....

Many green foodies argue organic produce tastes better, but the debate if they are more nutritious and better for the environment has lacked scientific evidence; until now, as a new study shows certain organic fruits are better.

A London study published last August concluded organic food is no more nutritious than conventional, but new research suggests organic strawberries may, in fact, be healthier.

Washington State University researchers found organic strawberries have higher concentrations of antioxidants and vitamin C, and survive longer without rotting. And while consumers may pay more for the organic variety due to higher costs and lower crop yields, they left the soil healthier....