Ben & Jerry's chooses cage-free eggs

The Canadian company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, said it will be the first major national food manufacturer make a total transition to egg suppliers who use 'Certified-Humane', cage-free methods to raise their egg-laying hens.
“I speak for all of us at Ben & Jerry's to say how pleased we are to announce this transition,” said Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO.

“Earlier this year, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) brought to our attention issues related to the treatment of egg-laying hens,” said Rob Michalak, Ben & Jerry's Director of Social Mission.
"The closer we got to the issue, the more we realised how complex it was. It required us to move beyond our own expertise. We received substantive input from a variety of experts and resources, all of which helped us to arrive at our decision," said Michalak.

The company's statement says the move is consistent with Ben & Jerry's mission and values.

The transition to using the cage-free eggs will be phased in over the next four years.

The Humane Society says that the company's decision will result in improved welfare for tens of thousands of animals.

For more information, see the original WorldPoultry.net news item on Ben and Jerry's using cage eggs.

For the latest poultry news subscribe here