An Arizona poultry regulation is increasing egg prices for restaurants and consumers. A Tucson restaurateur is suing, asking courts to declare the rule invalid.
In April 2022, the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) enacted a rule to shift the state to all cage-free eggs by 2025, based in part on "the public's growing concerns about animal welfare." Beginning in October 2022, "all eggs sold in the state must come from laying hens" with "at least one square foot of usable floor space per laying hen." Beginning in 2025, all hens in the state must be housed in such a manner. It was the tenth state to enact such a mandate.
