We commend McDonald's on Cage-Free commitment
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We commend 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, our 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 purchasing*. The Business Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare, which we are a founding partner, had most recently ranked McDonald’s in the second-to-top tier based on how McDonalds 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.”
* The Role of Animal Welfare in the Food Purchasing Decisions, ESL Insights LLC. Online survery conducted among a nationally represented panel of 1,244 consumers. January 2014