Nestlé says it will switch to 100 percent cage-free eggs in the U.S. by 2020.
The company’s announcement follows similar vows from the likes of McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Compass Group, Aramark, Sodexo, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Dunkin’ Donuts and more. According to The Humane Society of the United Staes (HSUS), Carnival Corp.—the world’s largest cruise company—announced this month a 100 percent cage-free shift. Caribou Coffee, Peet’s Coffee, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Shake Shack also all have announced cage-free phase-ins. Additionally, Flowers Foods, the $3.7 billion baked foods company and maker of iconic brands like Wonder Bread and Tastykake, says it, too, is going 100 percent cage-free.
The HSUS says Nestlé is the world’s largest food company—it has more than 2,000 brands, nearly $100 billion in annual sales and it uses 200 million eggs annually (for brands like Häagen-Dazs, Dreyer’s, Edy’s, Toll House, Buitoni, Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s). At that volume, the company’s cage-free shift will result in nearly 780,000 fewer birds confined in cages each year, the group reports.
“Our products are in the fridges and pantries of socially-conscious consumers across the United States, and we share their belief in the importance of responsibly-sourced ingredients,” says Paul Grimwood, chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “The move to using exclusively cage-free eggs is one more way that we’re responding to consumers and establishing a precedent for farm animal welfare.”
In a blog post, The HSUS adds, “We’ve been proud to work with Nestlé for the last several years on this and other animal welfare initiatives. This is the humane economy in action, with major players like Nestlé and so many more working to eliminate cages and other inhumane practices from their supply chains, demanding better outcomes for animals, and aligning their purchasing practices with the emerging and established values of their customers.”
