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Next time you have the chance, wander around a Whole Foods and pay attention to two things. First, look at how many times “organic” and “local” is written on anything but specific products: on the walls, on the signs, on the ads, and so on. Then take a look at how many ingredients are actually local and organic.

From there, take a closer look at the products. Read the labels carefully. Some say “certified organic,” which is pretty clear. Others are more vague. “All Natural” or “Free Range” or “Certified Humane” comes to mind. One egg company, Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, has pictures of happy chickens wandering a big open space on the label.

If you were to go visit Nellie’s, though, you’d find sheds with 20,000 hens stuffed in, with just 1.2 sq ft of floor space each. That’s about enough room for a hen to rotate in place. Some free range life, eh?

Four people are suing Nellie’s for deception. They are backed by PETA.

The lawsuit draws attention to the treatment of chickens and label practices for so-called “free range” or “humane” products. Consumption of eggs is on the rise in America, and with some companies using those labels to charge a whopping $8 for eggs (like Nellie’s) this lawsuit might be one good thing PETA has done.

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