World Animal Protection Commends McDonald's on Cage-Free Commitment

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Sep 09, 2015, 02:53 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- World Animal Protection commends McDonald's on its commitment, announced today, to fully transition to cage-free eggs over the next 10 years. McDonald's announcement will positively affect the lives of 7 million hens in North America. Currently, over 300 million hens in North America are confined in small battery cages, typically shared between 5-7 birds.

"More consumers are demanding humanely raised food and we applaud McDonald's for listening to their customers," says Priscilla Ma, World Animal Protection's US Executive Director. "This is a milestone moment for better hen welfare and demonstrates that through their buying power corporates can transform how animals are treated in farm production."

A recent poll in the US has shown that 75% of moms and 83% of millennials consider animal welfare in their food purchasing¹. The Business Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare, of which World Animal Protection is a founding partner, had most recently ranked McDonald's in the second-to-top tier based on how McDonald's manages farm animal welfare in its supply chain.

"Along with today's news, recent announcements, from other industry leaders including Walmart and General Mills, will have a significant impact on the future of egg production and be a catalyst to end cage confinement for hens," says Priscilla Ma. "Consumers should support companies who make these commitments and follow-through. We hope other food companies and restaurants will listen to their customers and choose cage-free as well."

¹The Role of Animal Welfare in the Food Purchasing Decision, ESL Insights LLC. Online survey conducted among a nationally represented panel of 1,244 consumers. January 2014.

About World Animal Protection
World Animal Protection, formerly known as the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), is active in more than 50 countries. From our offices around the world, we work with businesses, governments, local partners and animal welfare organizations to find practical ways to prevent animal suffering worldwide. www.worldanimalprotection.us.org

About Choose Cage-Free
Through its Choose Cage-Free campaign, World Animal Protection consults with businesses on transitioning to cage-free eggs and empowers consumers to select humanely produced eggs. In 2014, World Animal Protection announced a global partnership with Nestlé to improve the welfare of the animals in its supply chain; that partnership is the first-ever commitment between an animal welfare NGO and a major food business.

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SOURCE World Animal Protection