Canadian egg producers have responded over the years to changing consumer demands by adapting their operations.
McDonald’s announcement last week that it will eventually use only cage-free eggs in its U.S. and Canadian restaurants will be no different.
“McDonald’s is one of our customers, but we still have many customers that want the classic white egg that’s produced in an enriched housing or a conventional housing system,” said Audrey Price, executive director of Saskatchewan Egg Producers.
McDonald’s buys about two billion eggs a year for its American operations and 120 million eggs in Canada.
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Provincial standards in Saskatchewan have not allowed for conventional cage systems to be installed since Jan. 1, 2015. Poultry barns are now built with either an aviary or an on-the-floor system.
In aviary systems, chickens are still kept in cages but they have larger enclosures with different levels and nest boxes so that they can walk around and spread their wings.
“Every consumer change impacts what a producer does and what they decide on,” Price said.
“(The McDonald’s announcement) will be one more element that (producers will) have to weigh if they’re looking to change their housing system.”
Price said 85 to 90 percent of poultry farmers in Saskatchewan still use conventional systems.
Margaret Hudson, president of Burnbrae Farms in Ontario, has supplied McDonald’s with eggs for more than 30 years. For the last 17 years, her operation has used both cage-free and conventional systems to fulfill demands.
“(McDonald’s has) clearly made this decision because they’ve spoken with their customer community and they believe that that’s what they want,” Hudson said.
The animal welfare community sees McDonald’s announcement as a step forward for the food production industry.
“McDonald’s is really leading the way here,” said Sayara Thurston, campaign manager with the Human Society International/Canada.
“This is a movement that was definitely already in swing, but McDonald’s is obviously a huge player that this will definitely have ramifications for other companies in Canada.”
McDonald’s announcement follows a earlier one in March that it its U.S. restaurants will stop using chicken raised with certain kinds of antibiotics over the next two years.
ashley.robinson@producer.com
