Hill, K. (2021). Happy Hens or Healthy Eggs – A Summative Content Analysis Of How Hens Are Represented In Supermarket Egg Boxes Narratives. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 7(1), 70-94. https://doi.org/10.23984/fjhas.98684
Hill, K. (2021). Happy Hens or Healthy Eggs – A Summative Content Analysis Of How Hens Are Represented In Supermarket Egg Boxes Narratives. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 7(1), 70-94. https://doi.org/10.23984/fjhas.98684
Hill, K. (2021). Happy Hens or Healthy Eggs – A Summative Content Analysis Of How Hens Are Represented In Supermarket Egg Boxes Narratives. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 7(1), 70-94. https://doi.org/10.23984/fjhas.98684
Hill, K. (2021). Happy Hens or Healthy Eggs – A Summative Content Analysis Of How Hens Are Represented In Supermarket Egg Boxes Narratives. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 7(1), 70-94. https://doi.org/10.23984/fjhas.98684
Abstract
How a species is represented by marketers of animal-based products both reflects and shapes how consumers think about that animal. By examining the explicit statements, and implicit messages encoded in the imagery on supermarket egg boxes, this paper explores how hens are represented by whole egg retailers. Content analysis reveals two prominent messages purveyed through eggbox graphics, namely those pertaining to hen welfare and human health. The later disenfranchises hens from their products by focusing on the nutritional value of eggs, whereas the former reflects a public concern for the welfare of egg-laying hens. Although claims of improvements in welfare practices are undoubtedly exploited as marketing tools, they serve to raise awareness and drive competitors to adopt similar practices. Welfare claims are a direct response to public concerns about the plight of hens, and may positively influence industry welfare standards. However, idyllic depictions displayed on eggboxes also lull consumers into the belief that those eggs are an ethically sound food choice, regardless of the actual standard of living experienced by the hens.
Keywords
animal representation; animal-based foods; marketing; eggs; hen welfare
Subject
Social Sciences, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
