General Mills will use only cage-free eggs in its U.S. operations by 2025, it said last week, marking the first time the packaged food company has given a timeline for the switch.
Egg Farmers of Canada said it would work with industry and its 1,000 egg farms to make any transition to cage-free eggs as smooth as possible for companies wanting them.
The maker of products that include Betty Crocker cake mixes and Cheerios cereal said in July that it was working toward using exclusively cage-free eggs in its products.
Read Also
Agri-business and farms front and centre for Alberta’s Open Farm Days
Open Farm Days continues to enjoy success in its 14th year running, as Alberta farms and agri-businesses were showcased to increase awareness on how food gets to the dinner plate.
The move comes at a time when the food industry is under pressure from groups like the Humane Society of the United States, Mercy for Animals and World Animal Protection, which have successfully lobbied companies to adopt animal welfare practices.Â
“General Mills is further demonstrating that confining hens in cages has no place within our food system. We applaud the company for its great work,” said Josh Balk, senior food policy director for the Humane Society of the United States
Competitor Kellogg Co. said in October that it will source 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2025. McDonald’s Corp. said in September that its 16,000 U.S. and Canadian restaurants will serve only eggs laid by cage-free chickens within 10 years while rival Burger King already has committed to using only cage-free eggs by 2017.
In an earlier news release, Egg Farmers of Canada said a study by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply found that each kind of production system, including conventional, enriched, free run, free range and aviary, has tradeoffs across a wide variety of factors.
The EFC said it welcomed the request for stakeholder and expert input as it works through operational and financial details of converting the supply chain.
