New Report Eggsposés Urgency for U.S. Restaurants to Honor Cage-Free Egg Commitments As 2025 Deadlines Rapidly Approach

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Apr 16, 2024, 08:34 ET

In the "witching hour" of cage-free egg transition and with over 40% of U.S. hens free of cages, Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, Burger King, Carl's Jr, Hardee's fall behind competitors

NEW YORK, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Humane League, a global nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food, releases the Cage-Free Eggsposé, an annual report to hold restaurants accountable to their cage-free egg commitments and inform consumers of which brands to trust. According to the egg industry itself, "2024 is the equivalent of 'the witching hour' for U.S. egg producers in the industry's shift toward cage-free egg production," since nearly every food company has a fast-approaching deadline to remove cages by 2025 or 2026. As consumer demand, state bans, and corporate policies increase, more than 40% of egg-laying hens are now free from cages in the U.S., representing a significant increase from just 10.5% in 2014. While major brands successfully source only cage-free eggs, others are misinforming customers with unrealized commitments.

Egg-laying hens raised in cramped, wire cages in a typical factory farm environment where they are unable to even spread their wings. Learn more at EndCages.com. (Shutterstock)

"This is more than a progress report; it's a call for immediate action. As consumers want responsibly sourced food and investors demand transparency, the clock's ticking for brands to meet their self-imposed deadlines," says Kelly Myers, Senior Director of Corporate Engagement, The Humane League. "There's been strong momentum away from cages and we applaud the companies that have made genuine progress towards higher animal welfare. We urge restaurants that still allow extreme confinement of birds in their supply chains—a practice so cruel it's been criminalized in 11 states—to follow through with transparency and action."

The Eggsposé fosters corporate accountability and higher animal welfare, examining the state of the industry's movement away from cages. The report compares brand names across sectors, including dine-ins, drive-thrus, and fast-food face-off. It celebrates brands like McDonald's and TGI Fridays for successfully transitioning to cage-free systems ahead of schedule. Direct competitors, like Chick-Fil-A, Wendy's, Burger King, Dunkin', Carl's Jr., Hardee's, and Taco John's, lack public progress on their cage-free transition, raising consumer concern about lack of transparency and cruel treatment of animals.

"I've been a loyal customer of Subway for years, but learning that my favorite lunch spot might not be honest about their cage-free promise is upsetting," says Lisa Scharin, a concerned consumer in Greenville, SC. "If Subway isn't being truthful about its animal welfare policies, what else is it lying to us about?"

Eggsposed

The Eggsposé reveals that the following brands, among others, have failed to report public progress toward their cage-free egg commitments:

Drive-thru:

Dine-In:

Cage-Free Leaders

The Eggsposé applauds the following restaurants, among others, for successfully transitioning to 100% cage-free eggs in the U.S.:

Increased consumer concern about the archaic conditions faced by chickens in cramped, wire cages, with no room to spread their wings has led to the growing demand for cage-free eggs. Over 520 U.S. businesses have made public commitments to eliminate caged eggs from their supply chains, and transition to source 100% cage-free eggs. Further, 11 states have passed laws regulating the production and/or the sale of eggs from hens raised in cages. According to CageFreeLaws.com, "[restaurants] operating in these states must be prepared to comply with these laws to avoid civil fines, criminal animal cruelty charges, and in some cases, jail time."

The Humane League calls on all restaurants to eliminate cages from their supply chains and to be transparent by publicly disclosing their progress to consumers and stakeholders along the way.

For more information, please visit Cage-Free-Eggspose.com. To take action for animals, visit EndCages.com.

About The Humane League
The Humane League is a global nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food by influencing the policies of the world's biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates. Since its founding in 2005, The Humane League has focused on effectively ending the worst abuses in factory farming, securing firm animal welfare commitments from major foodservice providers, restaurants, retailers, food manufacturers, and hospitality leaders worldwide, changing the lives of billions of farm animals suffering daily.

Media Contact:
Julia Wisner
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SOURCE The Humane League