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.
"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:
- Chick-fil-A
- Subway
- Carl's Jr
- Hardee's
- Taco John's
Dine-In:
- P.F. Chang's
- Ruby Tuesday
- Chopt
- Golden Corral
- Pei Wei Asian Diner
Cage-Free Leaders
The Eggsposé applauds the following restaurants, among
others, for successfully transitioning to 100% cage-free eggs in
the U.S.:
- McDonald's
- Starbucks
- Taco Bell
- TGI Fridays
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
973-722-4736
376148@email4pr.com
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SOURCE The Humane League